The Leader - Travel Issue - Summer 2014

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2, SUMMER 2014

RAILROAD TRACK SAFETY SAFEST IN DECADES, MORE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE HORIZON

chairman’s message

Dear Members,

IT

was great visiting with the attendees at the five regional conferences I attended this year and I look forward to seeing everyone at the national conference Aug. 24–28, 2014, at the beautiful Gaylord National Hotel, located on the

Potomac River in the Washington, DC, area. Early registrations and hotel reservations point to a significant increase in attendance over last year’s conference in Nashville.

The regional conferences were well attended and provided excellent workshops.

All of the regional boards and their volunteers did a great job again this year in providing all attendees with well-organized conferences.

Participation in our latest letter writing campaign at the regional conferences was excellent, as usual. Nearly 6,000 letters generated at the conferences were hand delivered to members of Congress during our June congressional outreach, following the quarterly board of directors meeting. The June congressional outreach, designed to educate members of Congress on the benefits of VPP, resulted in 125 successful meetings, giving us a total of 229 this year.

As I mentioned earlier, this year’s national conference provides everyone with the opportunity to attend an outstanding educational event, network with other attendees and see the numerous interesting sights of Washington, DC. It is also a great time to bring your families, so they can also experience the numerous historical treasures.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the national conference Aug. 24–28, 2014 at the beautiful Gaylord National Hotel, located on the Potomac River in the Washington, DC, area.

Thank you, and remember with everyone working together, the best is yet to come.

MIKE MADDOX Chairman VPPPA Board of Directors THE LEADER

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VOL 1. ISSUE 2

SUMMER 2014

cover

CONTENTS

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Railroad Track Safety—Safest in Decades, More Improvements on the Horizon In the 1960’s and 1970’s, a troubling number of track-caused accidents occurred in the United States on a deteriorated railroad infrastructure. Since those discouraging years, the railroad industry has seen substantial improvements in track safety. In fact, the number of trackcaused accidents in 2013 is the lowest since the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) established the Federal Track Safety Standards (FTSS) in 1971. Fatalities and injuries to maintenance-of-way workers who occupy the track continue to be a challenge to the railroad industry. The number of fatalities to roadway workers who work on the track has been reduced from eight fatalities in 1987 to two fatalities in 2013. Although there were several years with fewer fatalities after the Roadway Worker Protection Rule (RWP) became effective in 1997, there were also a few years during this period where fatalities approached the 1987 level. Railroads, rail labor and FRA are working together to achieve zero fatalities in the industry and continue the positive trend experienced in the last four years.

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features

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Only the Best Need Apply—The American Airlines VPP Journey When American Airlines and US Airways merged in December 2013, the result was the world’s largest airline. Excluding regional affiliates, the combined airline currently operates a fleet of 970 aircraft. Keeping the flying public safe and the fleet in optimum mechanical condition requires a small army of maintenance and engineering workers at several maintenance bases in the United States. The largest of these, spread over 300 acres at Tulsa International Airport, is the American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Center (M&E Center) that employs over 6,000 people. The Tulsa M&E Center provides major overhaul services for the airline’s multiple fleet types along with overhaul and servicing of engines, landing gear and other aircraft components.

The work is intricate, exacting and labor intensive. In 2010, the average OSHA recordable injury rate for the Tulsa M&E Center was 9.5. At that time, Vice President Base Maintenance Bill Collins set the expectation that the OSHA rate would be lowered to 2.0 within two years.

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The Evolution of Biking Culture

Many cities seeking to attract Millennials and Boomers in search of a less car-centric lifestyle turn to the Urban Bikeway Design Guide and the Urban Street Design Guide, published by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), for guidance. As active transportation grows in popularity among all age groups, new tools like the NACTO guides will be developed to speed the creation of a culture of health, community connectedness and actual and perceived safety. An exciting outcome is increased collaboration between cities, professional associations, citizens, businesses and advocacy groups.

www.vpppa.org VPPPA National Board of Directors Chairperson Mike Maddox, NuStar Energy, LP

features continued

Vice Chairperson Mike Guillory, SGE, The Brock Group

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Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory

The Distracted Driving Epidemic

Secretary Anthony Stoner, Integrity Windows and Doors

Poor driving behaviors, such as driver inattention and aggression, have been identified as the primary cause of 90 percent of all traffic fatalities. For example, in 2012 there were 33,561 people killed on the roadways of the United States. If 90 percent of these fatalities were caused by driver behavior, just over 30,000 lives could have been saved in one year with the adoption of good driving behaviors by the motoring public. The United States Department of Labor reported that in 2012, transportation

incidents were the leading cause of workplace fatalities, comprising 41 percent of all incidences. Motor vehicle crashes are a heavy burden for Americans, causing $871 billion in economic loss and societal harm.

Crash costs include lost productivity, property damage, medical and rehabilitation costs, legal and court costs, emergency services and insurance administration costs.

Employers should take steps to develop, implement, enforce and monitor a strong distracted driving program in the workplace.

Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Agent Kent Lang, Clearwater Paper Corporation Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Robert Henson, LyondellBasell Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, Washington Closure Hanford Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial at LyondellBasell Director-at-Large Frank Avila, Motorola Solutions

sections

Director-at-Large Shelley Baber, FirstEnergy Corporation

GLOBAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WATCH

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WASHINGTON UPDATE

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STATE-PLAN MONITOR

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CHAPTER ROUND-UPS

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30TH ANNUAL NATIONAL VPPPA CONFERENCE

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INFOGRAPHIC CORNER

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COUNSEL MESSAGE

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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MEMBER INFO CORNER

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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Look for these topics highlighted in the top right corner of each section.

G overnment M embership H ealth Business Outreach

Director-at-Large Bill Harkins, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Director-at-Large J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE , Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC Director-at-Large Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Editor Sarah Neely, VPPPA, Inc. Editorial Mission The Leader (ISSN 1081-261X) is published quarterly for VPPPA members. The Leader delivers articles from members for members, safety and health best practices, developments in the field of occupational safety and health, association activities, educational and networking opportunities and the latest VPP approvals.

Subscriptions are available for members as part of their membership benefits and at a 50 percent discount beyond the complimentary allotment.

The nonmember subscription rate is $25 a year.

Ideas and opinions expressed within The Leader represent the independent views of the authors.

Postmaster >> Please send address changes to: VPPPA, Inc. • 7600-E Leesburg Pike • Ste. 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

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global safety and health watch

Thinking of Taking that Trip to a Caribbean Island Paradise?

Protect Yourself from Chikungunya

BY SARAH NEELY, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, VPPPA

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pproximately nine million Americans travel to the Caribbean every year to take advantage of the picturesque island getaways, extravagant resorts, charming beaches and a multitude of activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, island exploration, sunbathing and boating. And why wouldn’t they? There is no shortage of cruise packages offered for a relatively low price. Low budget airlines offer several deals throughout the spring, summer and fall. Groupon and LivingSocial, among others, regularly provide all-inclusive Caribbean getaway packages for a steal! On top of that, the ease of traveling to these destinations in lieu of Hawaii, the South Pacific, Asia or South America, provides a luxury experience without having to take a lot of time off work or spend a lot of money to get there.

In December of 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first non-imported, locally contracted cases of chikungunya in the Americas. The first infections in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean, indicating that the local mosquito population was infecting local inhabitants. Prior to this, infections of chikungunya were restricted to those who had recently traveled to South-east Asia, Southern Europe and parts of Africa.

As of June 20, 2014, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) had calculated over 170,000 suspected cases of the illness in the Caribbean alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates this number to be closer to 180,000.

This year, the prevalence of U.S. travelers contracting the mosquito-borne illness has increased as vacation season set in. In June 2014, there were 57 confirmed infections of the disease reported within the U.S., all originating on Caribbean islands. The majority of those cases have been reported in Florida, but other infections have been noted in North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Alabama and Georgia. Chikungunya causes flu-like symptoms, a rash, a fever of approximately 104 F, headache, severe

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debilitating joint pain and joint swelling.

Symptoms typically subside after a week; although joint pain can last months or years in some people. Deaths are extremely rare for chikungunya sufferers, but the groups that are at the highest risk of developing a debilitating or severe form of the disease are newborns, people over 65 years old and individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

There is no cure or vaccine for the illness; however contracting the disease is thought to prevent future infections. This provides little comfort for those suffering from long-term joint pain. A study in Italy found that 50 percent of people infected with chikungunya suffered joint pain, muscle pain and weakness up to a year after the onset of the first symptoms. Sixty percent of these sufferers still reported musculoskeletal pain up to three years after the initial infection. The study was done on infected people who were over 45 years old.

As more cases appear in the U.S., along with the added complication of a 2–12 day incubation period, locally contracted infections are inevitably going to occur. Given that the first cases were reported in the Caribbean in Dec. 2013 and the WHO estimates stated above, the rate of infection is spreading quickly.

The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person—a mosquito that bites an infected person will pass the virus on when it then goes on to bite a non-infected person.

To minimize your risk of contracting chikungunya, extra precautions to prevent mosquito bites should be taken both at home and on vacation. Many preventative action plans are well-known and widely practiced such as using mosquito repellant containing DEET, picardin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, wearing long sleeves and disposing of standing water in water bottles, potted plans, swim floats and standing pools in yards or in wooded areas.

Since the majority of infectious mosquitoes bite during daylight hours, efforts should be taken to avoid being outside when unnecessary.

If you are going to be in a hotel with facilities that are not screened in or sufficiently

protected from the outdoor elements, mosquito nets should be used if possible. As an added layer of protection, the mosquito nets should be chemically treated. At home, ensure that you have screens on all of your windows.

If you are returning from a trip to the Caribbean and exhibit a high fever, joint pain or a rash within two weeks, you should contact your doctor immediately. Make sure you let your doctor know that you were recently in the Caribbean. While antivirals do not exist for chikungunya, pain medicine is used to make the symptoms more bearable during the week-long recovery.

As this magazine went to print, it was reported that a couple in Florida contracted Chikungunya without traveling. This is the first known instance of the infection occurring in mainland U.S. More information about the virus can be found on the CDC’s website, www.cdc.gov/chikungunya or the WHO’s website http://www.who.int/en/.

washington update

BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Trucking Regulation Debate

NHTSA Stresses Tire Safety

The car accident that killed comic James McNair and injured actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has provoked new debates over regulation of commercial trucks in the U.S. The sleep-deprived driver of a truck, according to a criminal complaint, had not slept for 24 hours when he struck the bus carrying McNair and Morgan in New Jersey.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called on the Department of Transportation to speed up the implementation of a requirement that drivers and companies electronically log the number of hours driven. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked the department to review truck weight and driver fatigue regulations. Truck crash fatalities have increased each year since 2009, reaching 3,912 in 2012, the last year data is available.

In conjunction with National Tire Safety Week at the beginning of June, the NHTSA provided resources and guidance to help consumers prevent tire failure and related crashes while increasing the life of tires.

Proper maintenance of tires includes making sure they are properly inflated, rotated as needed and that wheels are balanced and aligned. Additionally, NHTSA cautions that even unused tires suffer from aging. For further information, including advice on purchasing tires and looking up tire recalls, visit the agency’s TireWise site at www.safercar.gov/tires/.

Annual Cost of U.S. Vehicle Crashes Near $1 Trillion The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a report examining the economic and social costs of motor vehicle crashes utilizing data from 2010. The topline figure is $871 billion in total annual costs in the U.S. from 32,999 fatalities, 3.9 million non-fatal injuries and 24 million damaged vehicles. Direct economic costs reached $277 billion, $900 per American or nearly two percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), NHTSA highlights.

The $594 billion in social costs account for the loss of life and quality of life.

The use of seatbelts prevented $69 billion in costs, but the failure to wear them incurred $14 billion in economic losses and $72 billion overall. Distracted driving resulted in $129 billion in total costs. The two greatest culprits were drunk driving and speeding. Driving under the influence of alcohol accounted for nearly a quarter of costs, $199 billion; 90 percent of these incidents involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.

NHTSA estimated that speeding over the posted limit contributed to $210 billion in total costs. The final major source of costs were accidents involving bicyclists or pedestrians at $90 billion. The report from NHTSA can be read in its entirety at wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812013.pdf.

Slow Changes in Rules as Drones’ Role Expands In a June 23, 2014 memo, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reiterated its ban on the use of aerial drones for business deliveries, stymieing the stated goal of Amazon to begin drone delivery of consumer purchases. The memo follows a case in March that the FFA lost in an administrative court and is appealing that allowed an aerial photography business to not pay a fine for using a drone. The agency has stated that it will consider revisiting the ban on commercial drones in the future, which has been in place since 2007.

First entering the public consciousness because of their military and intelligence applications, aerial drones are poised to take on an expanded role in society. The FAA estimates that the number of small commercial drones could reach 7,500 by 2018 if proper regulations are established. On June 10, 2014, the FAA authorized the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial use over land for the first time. The small craft, with a nine-foot wingspan, will examine infrastructure including roads and pipelines on Alaska’s North Slope for BP. Both agency and company hope the use of drones will help protect the environment and improve safety for individuals. Additionally, the FAA has asked for public comment on allowing the film and television industry to use UASs.

NIOSH Vehicle Safety Plan The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Center for

Motor Vehicle Safety has released a strategic plan to reduce fatalities from motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S. The plan, which covers the years through 2018, identifies five main goals: developing a better understanding of risk factors; implementing engineering and technology-based safety interventions; implementing evidence-based road safety management policies; national and international collaboration on research and guidance; and improving guidance and informational products. More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ docs/2014-122/.

OSHA Expanding Lubbock Office The Lubbock, TX, OSHA office is being upgraded from a district to an area office.

The agency cites an increasing population and an associated increase in workloads for the change. Lubbock’s population is predicted to double by the end of the decade as a result of increased activity in oil and gas industries.

Other cities covered by the office include Abilene, Amarillo and Midland-Odessa.

Safe Patient Handling Resource OSHA has put out a new brochure for nursing home and residential workers.

“Safe Patient Handling: Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Homes” offers techniques and strategies to help reduce the injury and illness rate for healthcare workers, which was twice that of construction workers in 2012. Common problems include muscle strains, tendinitis and lower back and rotator cuff injuries. A PDF of the brochure can be accessed at www.osha.gov/Publications/ OSHA3708.pdf.

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state-plan monitor

COMPILED BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Federal OSHA States State-Plan States Public Sector Only

Arizona The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) is working diligently to get the word out about the Voluntary Protection Programs and currently has 34 Star sites participating. They are close to announcing the 35th site once the final activity is closed out. ADOSH was recently approached by several new companies who are working on their applications, several of which were in attendance at the VPPPA Region IX Conference in Anaheim, CA, as well as representatives from Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) participants who want to move into VPP. Jessie Atencio, assistant director and VPP program coordinator for ADOSH, anticipates a very busy fourth quarter and projects more work into the first quarter of the 2015 fiscal year when it comes to VPP activity.

Over the past few quarters, ADOSH has made good on their promise to integrate a few Special Government Employees (SGE) into their VPP onsite inspection teams. Jessie Atencio stated, “Having them as part of the VPP Team makeup allowed for a greater and broader evaluation of the safety and health management system at those participating sites.” Atencio noted that all sites visited were complimentary of the SGEs’ knowledge and recommendations towards best practices. As a result, ADOSH thanks the Star site leaders for allowing them to participate during reapproval audits.

ADOSH VPP numbers include 34 participating Star sites, with five re-approvals this year.

Hawaii Hawaii has some movement in the Voluntary Protection Programs and there are now four companies recognized as VPP Star sites. The most recent addition is Monsanto in Molokai.

If your organization is interested in obtaining additional information on VPP in Hawaii and how it is applied, contact Hawaii OSHA at (808) 586-9100 or go to their website and review the policies and procedures for VPP: labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh/files/2013/01/vpp_ manual_rev_6-12-07-tagged.pdf.

Iowa Employees at Performance Pipe proudly present their Volunteer Star flag

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Contractor safety management is a wellestablished VPP sub-element. Companies that are covered by OSHA’s Process Safety

Management (PSM) standard, because of the large quantities of highly hazardous chemicals used in their processes, have a vested interest in using contractors that are especially strong with regards to safety and health.

LyondellBasell (formally Equistar), located in Clinton, Iowa, has been a VPP Star company since 2002, producing high and low density polyethylene. LyondellBasell strongly supports resident contractors for VPP Star approval.

Out of eight resident contractors, three have achieved the VPP status, with three others being currently evaluated.

One of the best practices supported by LyondellBasell is the creation of the Contractor Safety Council that is open to all of their contracting companies. The Clinton site Contractor Safety Council is a self-managed group that promotes positive communication between the trades and the host company.

The group has their own website and they meet monthly to share information and work toward goals. Information shared includes: best practices, near miss reports, incident reports, BBS observations, permit improvements, safety walkthrough results and Goal Zero awards.

Among the many best practices that the Contractor Safety Council promotes is the Contractor Swap Program. Contractors exchange employees during their weekly safety walkthroughs to “gain a new set of eyes,” which improves safety walkthrough quality, gains insight into the challenges other contractors must manage and continuously improves communication between trades. The Contractor Council is a very effective tool to support the journey of all of the resident contractors in achieving VPP status.

For more information about the Iowa VPP Program, contact VPP Coordinator Shashi Patel at (515) 281-6369 or visit www.iowaworkforce.org/labor/iosh.

Michigan The number of sites in Michigan’s Voluntary Protection Programs currently stands at 30 with 27 Star, one Rising Star (Merit) and two MVPPC (construction) sites. MIOSHA has been active in the promotion of the MVPP with MVPP Specialist Doug Kimmel delivering presentations on the program to the management and employees of several companies including: Abbott Nutrition in Sturgis, Marathon Pipeline, LLC in

Woodhaven, The Brock Group and RAM Construction Services.

Re-evaluation onsite reviews have been performed at Dow Corning in Auburn and Georgia-Pacific in Grayling. Each of these onsite reviews went well, and the MVPP review teams that conducted the reviews have recommended that these sites be re-approved. Reviews of the Walbridge MVPPC Munger Resident Hall, Wall Street Parking Deck and East Quad projects in Ann Arbor have also been conducted.

The spring MVPP Mentor Meeting was again held in conjunction with the Michigan Safety Conference. It was a great success, with representatives from many MVPP sites attending. All attendees at the conference were invited to attend the meeting. It was an excellent opportunity for them to network with individuals from sites that are in the program.

A half-day informational workshop on the MVPP will be held on Sept. 17, 2014. The workshop is being hosted by International Paper, Sturgis. Those interested in attending can find more details on the MIOSHA training calendar: www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7154-61256-40999--,00.html. The Fall MVPP Mentor Meeting will be held Oct. 29, 2014, at the Walbridge headquarters in Detroit. “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/mi_osha.

For further details on the MVPP contact Doug Kimmel, MVPP specialist, at (231) 546-2366 or visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/miosha.

Minnesota Minnesota currently has 37 Star sites and two Merit sites within the Minnesota VPP (MNSTAR) program. Of the 37 Star sites, 35 are classified as general industry and two are resident contractors at our MNSTAR certified refinery. 2014 has been a very strong year for Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) and the MNSTAR program. Since the beginning of the year we have continued to process our re-approval audits in a timely manner and have completed three new site approvals into MNSTAR. In addition, one site has been recommended to participate with Merit status.

Two applications have also been received and are scheduled to be processed.

Having a dedicated MNSTAR team has allowed us to build strong working relationships with our partners and has helped open lines of

communication from site to site. Our current stakeholders continue to promote the program to their clients which has led to an increase of inquiries into the program. Our MNSTAR sites share best practices from site to site which allows all employers to strive to be better.

At this time, Minnesota VPP (MNSTAR) has three official new site approvals and one Merit recommendation since the last issue of The Leader: • Nyco, Incorporated in Rosemount was recommended and approved as a full MNSTAR site.

• Delta Air Lines Minneapolis Reservations Customer Engagement Center was recommended and approved as a full MNSTAR site.

• Firmenich in New Ulm was recommended and approved as a full MNSTAR site.

• Sysco Asian Foods in St. Paul has been recommended to participate as a Merit MNSTAR Site.

Additionally, we have completed one re-approval as a Merit site since the last update in The Leader: Danfoss Power Solution in Plymouth.

The MNSTAR Team continues to receive inquires and has visited multiple employers having interest in the MNSTAR Program. The small team approach has allowed MNOSHA to remain consistent from site to site and helped alleviate any scheduling conflicts. All employers are held to the same high standard required for participation in the program and are encouraged to share the best practices among the other MNSTAR participants.

If you would like further information about the MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli. state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Ryan Nosan, MNSTAR VPP coordinator, at ryan. nosan@state.mn.us.

Nevada The State of Nevada is seeing growth in their VPP ranks with nine participating sites as of this article. VPP Coordinator Jess Lankford, who was also in attendance at the Region IX conference in April in Anaheim, explained they have two new applications for the remainder of 2014, and the state will be performing three reapproval audits in the Reno area. Nevada also anticipates doing an initial audit for entry into VPP for an organization operating at a mobile document shredding facility before the end of the year. In addition, Lankford explained

that the state-plan is currently reviewing VPP in order to determine the best path for future growth of the Voluntary Protection Programs.

Congratulations are in order for one of Nevada’s newest additions to the VPP family, Clearwater Paper Corporation in North Las Vegas, and to their most recent re-approval recipient, Chevron Performance Pipe, out of Reno. Keep up the good work everyone!

Tennessee On May 28, 2014, Steve Hawkins, administrator of Tennessee OSHA, presented the employees of Performance Pipe in Knoxville with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval award.

On April 29, 2014, Commissioner Burns Phillips recognized General Electric Capital Aviation Services in Memphis as the state’s newest Volunteer Star site. Tennessee OSHA has recently conducted a successful onsite evaluation at Monsanto in Union City.

Virginia VPP continues to thrive in Virginia. The new regional coordinators have taken over leading re-approval evaluation teams and joined in on other evaluation teams. These new employees have been vital in keeping the momentum going in Virginia.

Congratulations to our newest VPP site, Kennametal, Inc. in Chilhowie for their recent successful Star approval evaluation.

Congratulations to the following sites for their recent re-approval as Star sites: • Frito-Lay Traffic in Lynchburg • Frito-Lay Manufacturing in Lynchburg • Lockheed-Martin MS2 in Manassas • Delta Air Lines in Alexandria Frito-Lay and Delta Air Lines hosted a number of visitors from sites interested in VPP during the opening day of their reapproval evaluations.

We are busy planning other events where VPP will be showcased by current sites. For example, Huber Engineered Woods in Crystal Hill sponsored a Best Practices Day on July 23, 2014, at Southside Virginia Community College in South Boston, with presenters from several other VPP sites. A big “thank you” to Huber Engineered Woods for sponsoring this event and having their employees provide a review of their employee-driven safety initiatives.

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state-plan monitor

contacting each state >> Alaska Bill Nickerson VPP Coordinator Phone: (907) 269-4948 www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/ oshhome.htm Arizona Jessie Atencio Assistant Director Phone: (520) 220-4222 www.ica.state.az.us/ ADOSH/ADOSH_main. aspx

Michigan Doug Kimmel MVPP Specialist Phone: (231) 546-2366 Sherry Scott MVPP Manager Phone: (517) 322-5817 www.michigan.gov/mvpp Minnesota Ryan Nosan MNSTAR VPP Coordinator Phone: (651) 284-5120 www.doli.state.mn.us/ mnStar.html

California Iraj Pourmehraban Nevada Cal/VPPFederal & PSM Manager OSHA States Jess Lankford Phone: (510) 622-1080 VPP Coordinator State-Plan States www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/cal_ Phone: (702) 486-9046 vpp/cal_vpp_index.html www.dirweb.state.nv.us

Public Sector Only

Hawaii Clayton Chun Manager Phone: (808) 586-9110 labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh Indiana Michael Gaskill Manager Phone: (260) 373-2860 www.in.gov/dol/ Iowa Shashi Patel VPP Coordinator Phone: (515) 281-6369 www.iowaworkforce.org/ labor/iosh Kentucky Joe Giles VPP Program Administrator Phone: (502) 564-4089 labor.ky.gov/dows/ oshp/doet/partnership/ pages/VPP---VoluntaryProtection-Partnership. aspx Maryland Cynthia L. Wheeler VPP Coordinator Phone: (410) 527-4473 www.dllr.state.md.us/ labor/mosh/vpp.shtml

New Mexico Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator Phone: (505) 222-9595 www.nmenv.state. nm.us/Ohsb_Website/ ComplianceAssistance/ VPP.htm North Carolina LaMont Smith Recognition Program Manager Phone: (919) 807-2909 www.nclabor.com/osha/ osh.htm Oregon Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM VPP/SHARP Program Manager Phone: (541) 776-6016 www.cbs.state.or.us/osha/ subjects/vpp.htm Puerto Rico Ilza Roman Director Phone: (787) 754-2171 www.dtrh.gobierno.pr

South Carolina Sharon Dumit VPP Coordinator Phone: (803) 896-7788 www.scosha.llronline.com Tennessee David Blessman VPP Manager Phone: (615) 253-6890 www.state.tn.us/laborwfd/vppStar.html Utah Holly Lawrence VPP Manager Phone: (801) 530-6494 www.laborcommission. utah.gov/divisions/UOSH/ VPPprogram.html Vermont Daniel Whipple VPP Coordinator Phone: (802) 828-5084 www.labor.vermont.gov/ vosha Virginia Milford Stern VPP Coordinator Phone: (540) 562-3580 www.doli.virginia.gov/ vosh_coop/vosh_vpp.html Washington John Geppert VPP Manager Phone: (360) 902-5496 www.lni.wa.gov/safety/ topics/atoz/vpp/default.asp Wyoming Karin Schubert Consultation Supervisor Phone: (307) 777-7710 www.wyomingworkforce. org/employers-andbusinesses/osha/Pages/ safety-and-healthcompliance.aspx

For additional information and up-to-date contacts, please visit www.vpppa.org/chapters/contacts.cfm.

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Plans are coming together for the 19th Annual VOSH Conference held at the Hampton Roads Conference Center in Hampton, VA, Oct. 8–10, 2014.

Hot Springs, VA, March 4–6, 2015. We will sponsor the free (no tuition) Special Government Employees class in conjunction with the conference. Visit www.vppparegion3. org for details.

Plans are coming together for the 19th Annual VOSH Conference held at the Hampton Roads Conference Center in Hampton, VA, Oct. 8–10, 2014. For more information, vendor registration or sponsorships, contact the Director of Cooperative Programs at (804) 786-6613 or visit www.doli.virginia.gov.

Finally, there will be an SGE class Sept. 16–18, 2014, at the NASA Langley Conference Center in Hampton. Approved participants will spend two and a half days learning about the responsibilities of being an SGE and how they can support VPP. Being an SGE is an excellent way to be part of the continued growth of VPP.

Washington There are currently 30 recognized VPP sites in the Washington state program. The two sites most recently approved were Veolia Environmental in Vancouver and Cascades Sonoco in Tacoma. An onsite evaluation for continued participation was conducted at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman.

Re-approval onsite visits are scheduled in the coming months for Intermech in Richland and Columbia Vista in Vancouver. An initial onsite approval is scheduled for MA Mortenson Construction in University Place.

Ceremonies were held for Wheelabrator in Spokane.

The Voluntary Protection Programs will hold a networking meeting of VPP participants and others pursuing VPP on Aug. 13, 2014. Oldcastle Precast in Auburn has volunteered to host the group and provide a tour of their plant.

chapter round-ups

COMPILED BY JENNA SHAY, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

All 28 SGE’s in attendance were presented a gift by the Region I Chapter Chairman Steve Gauthier.

Region I

Region I award winners

This year’s Region I Conference was a huge success. Thank you to all those in attendance for making it possible, and thank you for the positive feedback. Particularly from L.L. Bean employees who said, “Useful information/ beneficial sessions—thought provoking” and “Accessible information and vendors educational and interesting.”

Monday we held the Chapter Business Meeting which was very well-attended.

During the meeting, the newest board member, Alice Tatro, was introduced and returning Board of Directors members Debra Bowie, Bruce Gove and Paul Ludington were congratulated. The chapter’s business meeting was followed by the reception and opening of the Exhibit Hall. The 26 exhibitors were located around the perimeter of the Maine Ballroom making it convenient for all attendees to stop by and visit with them.

Jeff “Odie” Espenship kicked off the conference with a memorable speech, discussing his personal experiences we could all relate to.

The opening was followed by 20 workshops covering a number of interesting topics.

Tuesday afternoon was what we call “Wellness Afternoon,” a time when people were encouraged to get out, enjoy the fresh air and take in beautiful downtown Portland.

The Old Port District, where people strolled, includes bookstores, craft shops and all-youcan-eat restaurants. Many visited the Portland Head Light, which dates back to 1791, and is the oldest lighthouse still in continuous use in the U.S. Arriving back from the wellness afternoon, participants attended the awards dinner in the Maine Ballroom where several awards were presented.

Mentor Award: Every year Region I recognizes individuals and their companies

for their contribution towards health and safety and assistance with other companies to achieve a similar level of safety. The sharing of programs, practices and insight is what makes this all possible. This year’s winner was awarded

by Darwin Irish from FLEXcon to Jack Popp from Hasbro, Inc. East Longmeadow, MA. Jack Popp was also presented with the OSHA Regional Administrator’s Award, for going beyond mere compliance and assisting the Region’s OSHA office in its outreach activities. Congratulations Jack!

The region’s scholarship program was happy to award three $1,000 scholarships. This year’s awards were presented by Paul Ludington and Jack Popp to the following recipients: • Katelyn Girouard, attending Worcester State University, received the Eric Bartsch Memorial Safety & Health Scholarship.

• Laura Kastner, attending Penn State University, received the Joe Gervais Memorial Community Service Scholarship.

• Michael Bellows, attending the University of Connecticut, received the Caswell Plante Academic Excellence Scholarship.

Congratulations to all the winners!

At Tuesday afternoon’s luncheon, there were a number of items presented. Sarah Neely, VPPPA communications manager, provided us with a national VPPPA update including the national conference’s progress and other outreach initiatives. We also, for the first time, recognized the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) regional Special Government Employees (SGE) for their exceptional support, time, effort and action in VPP. All 28 SGEs in attendance were presented a gift by the Region I Chapter Chairman Steve Gauthier.

Conference closing speaker, Michael Vigezzi, GE Corporate, spoke about the importance of health and safety and what it means to everyone.

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chapter round-ups

Congratulations to all of the raffle winners and thank you to all of the Board of Directors for their dedication and time for making this all possible.

Currently, we are preparing for the 2015 conference which will be held at the beautiful Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, MA. We want to make everyone aware that it’s expected to fill up fast, and exhibitor space is limited so keep an eye on the Region I website: www.vppregion1.com.

Contributed by Region I Chairman Stephen Gauthier, General Electric Transportation Aircraft Engines, Lynn, MA. Kristyn Grow of Cintas being recognized as the Region III SGE of the year.

Region II National and regional conferences continue to be an outstanding resource to share best practices and sharpen skills to promote safety in the workplace.

Region II’s 2014 Regional Conference returned to the luxurious Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. This year’s conference was very rewarding and successful in spite of the many obstacles that had to be overcome.

Our keynote speaker, Warren Silverman, M.D., opened the eyes of those attending, with regard to the future of healthcare, with his presentation: “Is the Doctor In? Managing the Medical Aspects of Health & Safety in the Changing Healthcare Environment.”

Two of Region II’s members received awards: SGE of the Year—Stuart Mirowitz, Pfizer, Pearl River, NY, and Mentor of the Year—Leon Baukh, Torcon, Red Bank, NJ. Region II wants to thank all of the sponsors, vendors and volunteers who participated in the 2014 conference! We will see you in 2015!

In the coming months, you may receive calls from volunteers of Region II to update contact information. We are planning on making Region II’s 2014 Regional Conference returned to the luxurious Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.

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our 2015 conference bigger and better, but to do that we need our members’ input. We appreciate any help you can provide. If any individuals and/or organizations are interested in helping us develop and improve our Region II conference for 2015 please visit our website at www.region2chapter-vpppa.org.

Region II asks for your continued support of the Norman Deitch Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund. Its mission is to provide free AEDs to nonprofits and organizations that traditionally do not have the resources to purchase AEDs on their own. Over the past nine years, with your help, we have donated 18 machines.

Anyone interested in contributing to the fund should contact the Region II Secretary at Brenda@accesshealthsystems.com.

Contributed by Region II Secretary Brenda Wiederkehr, CSC, Access Health Systems, Latham, NY.

Region III The 17th Annual Region III VPPPA Symposium and Workshop was held May 6–9, 2014, at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Our pre-symposium classes and breakout sessions were educational and received high marks from attendees. Congratulations to all of our new SGEs! Congratulations also to Region III SGE of the Year Kristyn Grow of Cintas and to Region III Mentor of the Year Ron Buck of BASF as announced during the symposium. Final congrats go out to re-elected board members Mike Cokely from First Energy, Mike LaPradd from Huber Inc., Kristyn Grow from Cintas, and to our newest Region III board member Julie Simon from Noramco, Inc. Our 2014 Symposium keynote speakers were Keni Thomas, Dale Lesinski and Cliff

Meidl. Each of them did a phenomenal job and were well received by symposium participants.

Thanks go to each of them for sharing their story, insight, inspiration and good humor. The FUN Department was employed again this year to facilitate events and as usual, they pulled some tricks out of their hat! Adding to the mix was an enjoyable networking event at the Hard Rock Café on our final evening. Thanks to everyone who registered and participated this year!

Pittsburgh was great, but now we are extremely excited about our conference destination for 2015. Our 18th Annual Region III VPPPA Conference will be held at the amazing OMNI Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. See the resorts website for further details: www. thehomestead.com/pools-and-hot-springs.

Mark your calendar a little earlier, because we have scheduled March 3–5, 2015, as the dates for next year’s conference. This is an event you will not want to miss!

If you have any ideas for a breakout session or would like to present a workshop at our 2015 conference, please reach out to Region III board member, Mike LaPradd at mike. lapradd@huber.com.

The Board of Directors is again encouraging everyone in Region III to take advantage of the Region III website as a resource. We continue to make improvements to provide valuable information. If you have job opportunities or safety alerts that you would like to post, please reach out to any member of the board. Board member contact information is on the website, vppparegion3.org/homepage.html. Also on our website, is information and applications regarding the Larry Shaffer Scholarship.

In addition to following Region III VPPPA on our website, you can keep up with activity by becoming a Facebook “friend” of Region III VPPPA.

Contributed by Region III Secretary Bob Schroeder, Noramco, Inc., Wilmington, DE.

Region IV Mark your calendars for the Region IV 2015 Safety & Health Conference, June 16–18, in Orlando, FL, at the Caribe Royal. Join many other safety and health professionals at the premier Safety & Health Conference in the Southeast! Registration opens in November for exhibitors and in January for attendees.

Workshop submissions are being taken now.

An SGE class was held in Region IV, April 29–May 1, 2014, in Mobile, AL. The class was hosted by Arkema, Inc. The SGE instructors were Melva Oni, Alcon, David Averette, Arkema Inc.; and Michael Perry, Daikin America Inc. Leigh Jackson, Region IV VPP officer, was the OSHA instructor for the class.

Fifteen new SGEs successfully completed the class and were sworn in by Joe Roesler, area director of the Mobile OSHA Area Office.

Contributed by Region IV Director-at-Large Kim Burton, Pike Electric, Mount Airy, NC.

Region V 2014 Conference Presentations The presentations from the breakout sessions at the 2014 Region V conference are available on our website (www.vppregionv.com). Thank you to all those presenters who volunteered to share your success stories and best practices.

Chapter Board Update The Region V VPPPA Chapter Board would like to congratulate Tamara Reiter, Leslie Peterson, Mark Mammosser and Steve Washburn on their recent elections to the Region V Board. Tamara Reiter (GE Healthcare) was re-elected as vice-chair and Leslie Peterson (Motorola Solutions) was re-elected as secretary.

Both Tamara and Leslie have made significant contributions to Region V throughout the years and they continue to lead many of the conference steering committee efforts.

We would also like to congratulate two new board members elected at the 2014 conference.

Mark Mammosser, SSH&E Action Team chairperson at the Exxon Mobil, Joliet, IL, facility, was elected to the hourly representative nonunion board position. Steve Washburn, safety

coordinator for Nucor Steel in Marion, OH, was elected to the director-at-large board position.

For additional information regarding the Region V Board and how you can volunteer, visit our website.

SGEs Needed in Region V The 2014 VPP assessment schedule for Region V is posted on our website. If you’re an SGE and looking to participate on an assessment in 2014, be sure to review the VPP schedule and contact the OSHA lead as soon as possible.

For the VPP assessment schedule and the OSHA contacts, please visit the website, www.vppregionv.com/region-v-sges.

2015 Chapter Region V Conference—Save the Date We know it’s early, but it’s a good time to mark your calendars for the 2015 Region V Conference. The conference will take place in Columbus, OH, at the convention center.

Be sure to save the dates—May 19–21, 2015, with the application workshop on May 19.

Congratulations to the newest Region V VPP Sites New Star Sites • Delta Air Lines Cincinnati Reservations Sales Call—Cincinnati, OH Re-Approved Star Sites • Merisant—Manteno, IL • Rogers Corporation Foams Division— Carol Stream, IL • Northrop Grumman Defensive Systems Div.—Rolling Meadows, IL • USPS Quad Cities P&D Facility—Milan, IL • GE BETZ DBA GE Water and Process Technologies—Addison, IL • Afton Chemical Corporation—Sauget, IL • Exelon Energy Clinton Power Station— Clinton, IL • ProVia Door Baltic Plant—Baltic, OH

During the conference many awards were given out. Seventeen Recognition Awards were given to individuals who participated in two activities, whether it be mentoring, SGE on an audit or an outreach activity between the 2013 and 2014 conferences. Haney Robertson, Lanxess Corporation, Baytown, TX, was named the Region VI SGE of the Year. For the months of March–May we had 31 SGEs participate in VPP audits. Tina Weeks, Zachry Industrial, Inc., Houston, TX, was named the Region VI Mark Hidalgo Mentor of the Year.

We had an election this year for the position of director-at-large #5. Haney Robertson with Lanxess in Baytown, TX, was elected to serve in this position. Re-elected to the Region VI Board were Bubba Johnson as chair; Rae Badeaux as secretary/historian; Sandra Morrison as representative from a represented site; Dan Aleksandrowicz as director-at-large #2; and Kirk Crandall as director-at-large #4.

Regional Statistics: • VPP Sites: 544 • VPPPA Full Member Sites: 85 • VPPPA Associate Member Sites: 100 Contributed by Pam Mendiola, Region VI Vice Chairperson, Valero Refining Company, Texas City, TX.

Region VII The Region VII VPPPA Board of Directors (BOD) would like to thank everyone who attended the 21st Annual Region VII VPPPA Conference in La Vista, NE, on May 19–21, 2014. Attendance was up with 303 participants this year as opposed to the 271 attendees in 2013. We would like to send out a special thank you to all our exhibitors, workshop speakers John Bridson, vice president generation accepts the Dale Randall Award on behalf of Westar Energy

Contributed by Region V Chairperson Bill Linneweh, Hendrickson, Itasa, IL.

Region VI The Region VI VPPPA Conference in Little Rock was a success. We projected an attendance of 1,100 due to it being held outside of Texas, but we exceeded that number with over 1,300 attendees!

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chapter round-ups

Mike Murphy accepts 2014 Mentor of the Year Award

and volunteers for all that you do to support the Region VII VPPPA Conference. Without all of your efforts and talents it would be impossible to have such an informative, successful and wellorganized conference. Great job everyone!

Besides giving away a bunch of great prizes, there were plenty of other highlights from the conference.

The Exhibitor Reception provided a great chance to network, with food, drink and entertainment provided by Dueling Pianos. Our opening session keynote speaker, former NBA All-Star Mark Eaton, gave us plenty of inspiration as he presented his personal story on what it takes to become successful and his unique take on how to handle the challenges life throws at us.

Closing session keynote speaker Gary Koegeboehn, Vice President Pipeline Operations, NuStar Energy located in San Antonio, TX, gave an excellent presentation on safety leadership and what it means to be committed to employee safety through VPP. We presented our 6th Annual $5,000 Region VII Scholarship Award to Abbey Cotter from Wichita, KS. Abbey is the daughter of Chris Cotter who is employed at Utility Contractors Inc. (UCI) located in Wichita, KS. The Region VII Mentor of the Year Award was presented to Mike Murphy. Mike is an employee at Ply Gem in Kearney, MO, an SGE and a member of the Region VII VPPPA Board of Directors (BOD). Congratulations Mike!

Congratulations to Westar Energy for being selected as the 2014 Dale Randall Award winners for exemplary support of VPP and VPPPA. The Annual Business Meeting of the Membership was held at the conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. Elections were held during

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the meeting to fill BOD positions that were up for election. Congratulations to the following people on being elected to the Region VII BOD: • Chairperson—Jeff Klinksick, Westar Energy, Colwich, KS • Treasurer—Cody Patton, Monsanto, St. Louis, MO • Contractor/Construction Rep.—Steve Nikkel, UCI, Wichita, KS • Director at Large #2—Jamie Backhaus, Nucor Steel, Norfolk, NE • Director at Large #4—Alicia Hardacre, Tyler Pipe, Marshfield, MO • Director at Large #5—Steve Donovan, Axcet HR Solutions, Lenexa, KS We still have the position of secretary/ historian open at this time.

We are already preparing for next year’s conference in St. Louis at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel and Conference Center on May 18–20, 2015. Plan to join us at next year’s conference where the theme will be “Reflection of Excellence.”

Contributed by Region VII VPPPA Chapter Chair Jeff Klinksick, Westar Energy, Colwich, KS.

Region VIII As our chapter transitions to new leadership, I would like to express my appreciation for the support and confidence expressed in choosing me as interim chairperson. Besides my faith and family, VPP is truly what I live for. Rest assured, I don’t take this appointment lightly and I promise to do my best to work with the board of directors, face challenges head on and provide solutions that are always in the best interest of the association.

I would like to thank our board members for their hard work and all of the behind-the-scenes work that never gets noticed, but always gets done. I believe their passion and commitment to safety excellence truly makes us second to none; for that I applaud you. Thank you.

A huge thank you goes to Tony Stoner for his leadership as the former chairperson. During this transition, he has always been there to guide, direct and answer my questions. Thanks Tony, for not changing your email or phone number! Great leaders are not afraid of sharing or teaching what they know and always take time to nurture and coach their team. I believe Tony possesses those qualities, and for that, I say thank you my friend.

Keynote speaker Mark Eaton

Our 13th annual conference, VPP—Reach for the Stars, was once again a success. Jenelle Mote of Sundyne received the Bervin Hall Memorial Award. With members like her, our region will continue to set the example.

This year we incorporated a grand opening of our Exhibition Hall the evening prior to the opening session to say thanks to our vendors and generate attendee interaction.

Our keynote speakers continued our trend of mixing a perennial favorite with a new face in the region. Keni Thomas kicked off our opening keynote speech by summing it up, “Leadership has never been about the rank or the position you hold. It’s about the example you set. There are people to your left and to your right who are counting on you and it’s up to you to deliver. But you will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be.” Keynote speaker Garrison Wynn helped us understand successful management requires strong, enduring relationships and the ability to manage employee expectations, while keeping it entertaining and making us all laugh.

We struggled again this year with conference attendance. A big part of our challenge can be attributed to the rules affecting the military resulting from sequestration. Many who would normally have attended were unable due to the travel rules imposed on military installations.

Unfortunately, we also noticed lower attendance from other members in our region who had previously attended in greater numbers. We are working to determine how we can bring regular supporters back into the fold and learn what efforts we need to make to bring in new companies. We are already brainstorming ways to improve our 2015 conference. We are confident our continued commitment to providing a quality event will pay dividends in the future as we work to make more companies aware of the value. The board

of directors continues to review ways to improve, while maintaining its standard of excellence.

Lastly, we continued the Region VIII tradition of giving back to causes. Our 5th Annual Bingo-Rama fundraiser––The Legend of Bing-oRama––was a tremendous success. Our 2014 charity of choice was the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). We raised $700, which Region VIII then matched, so we donated a total of $1,500 to the SOWF. I can’t express enough gratitude for the generosity of our members in Region VIII. The chapter has had a relatively slow year.

We did add one new site, and another is awaiting approval. The focus has been heavily on completing re-approval audits that were canceled or delayed due to last year’s sequestration and/or government shutdown. Applications for new VPP sites continue to be received and approved. At least two of our sites conducted annual safety fairs and everyone was encouraged to participate in the June OSHA National-Stand Down.

We welcome your input! Check out our Region VIII Facebook page and visit our website, region8.webnode.com, for periodic updates and general news about what’s going on in the region.

In closing, when I attended the OSHA Workers’ Memorial this year I heard the names of 61 individuals read. I couldn’t help thinking that one is too many. While we may never see the lives or families we touched, what we do matters and together our region makes a difference.

See you in National Harbor, MD! Contributed by Mark Moya, Region VIII Interim Chairperson, Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO.

Region IX Well, it’s official... for those of us in Region IX, the heat is on. That’s right, summer is here and we are waiting for two things, RAIN sweet RAIN... and the Annual National VPPPA Conference in National Harbor, MD, Aug. 25–28, 2014. Wow! How time flies.

Speaking of time flying, the Region IX Conference in April came and went and once again we found ourselves enjoying yet another stellar regional conference in Anaheim, CA. With the theme being “Safety Super Hero,” those in attendance heard firsthand how ordinary people are doing extraordinary things within their organizations. Employees

are taking the initiative and elevating safety to the next level. They discovered tools that could be used to improve involvement by all and in many cases attendees discovered their inner super hero, leaving with new motivations to go back and make a difference.

As Region IX’s Board of Directors said goodbye to those outgoing board members who served diligently, they welcomed two new board members, Winnie Kane, director-atlarge, from NuStar Energy and Don Bracken, representative from a site with a CBA, from Raytheon Missile Systems. These newly elected members are already actively involved in the planning of next year’s conference.

The Region IX team is continuously working to support VPP and through their state-plan partners and state plan VPP coordinators, carries on outreach efforts. If you want to help and get more involved in the region’s outreach or conference planning efforts, please contact us via the Region IX website at www.regionixvpppa.org/board.html.

Contributed by former Region IX Secretary Mark Norton, formerly with Central Arizona Project, Phoenix, AZ.

Region X Region X VPPPA has been very busy the last several months, with both the 2014 Northwest S&H Summit and making plans for next year’s summit. This year’s summit was a smashing success, as we had 40 vendors, more than ever before. There were 100 firsttimers in attendance, who rated our summit the best experience they have ever had at any type of conference.

The Region X 2014 Innovation Award went to Plummer Forest Products Particle Board Plant. Plummer Forest Products Particle Board Plant manufactures particleboard for a variety of customers, some requiring special packaging and marking of the units of particleboard. Specifically, some customers want different thickness sizes of particleboard to be stenciled with 1–5 blue vertical stripes on each end of a finished unit which designates a specific thickness. For almost two years the stripes were applied by using spray paint cans and a hand held stencil pattern.

This process had many serious safety hazards: employee overexposure to paint fumes from can spraying, working under elevated units of a forklift to spray units below it, housekeeping

issues on what to do with the cans of paint generated and employee exposures puncture and drain empty cans for proper disposal.

Several commercially available units that apply strips were investigated, but none could do what was required for this application.

So Plummer Forest Products Particleboard Plant decided to develop and build their own automated and programmable ink striping system and eliminate the safety issues involved with can spraying. The new system applies the predetermined number of stripes using a nontoxic ink instead of aerosol paint. The stripes are crisp and uniform in appearance. Employee input was solicited throughout the process.

With this new equipment, the use of paint cans, employee exposure to aerosol paint fumes and disposal of empty cans has been eliminated.

The approximate cost to build and install the system was $30,000, not including annual power costs. For comparison, less than $1,000 was spent each year on aerosol cans. While the initial cost for protecting their employees was high, the abatement of significant safety hazards is priceless.

Mission Support Services (MSS) was awarded the Region X S&H Outreach Award for 2014. In conjunction with local labor unions and community leaders, MSS hosted and coordinated several events for local Boy Scouts to learn and earn four safety-related merit badges. These badges include: Safety, Traffic Safety, Fire Safety and American Labor. The events included opportunities to learn from experts in these fields. These badges are a few of the roughly 130 merit badges offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Some of the sponsors of the events included: MSA, HAMTC, HGU, Kennewick Police Department, Oxarc Inc. and ASSE Columbia Basin Chapter.

Michelle Steeler, URS Energy & Construction (EC) safety coordinator, received the Region X VPPPA SGE of the Year Award at the regional conference as well.

Tim Taylor received the Chairperson’s Award for his above and beyond support of the 2014 Northwestern S&H Summit. Tim spent many hours putting together the Region X Golf Tournament which was the largest so far and he canvased Alaska businesses for more vendors. He has been a great addition to the Region X Board of Directors!

Contributed by Region X Chapter Chair Bonnie Anderson, CH2M-WG Idaho, LLC THE LEADER

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National Harbor is home to a firstclass marina where you can take

D

iscover and explore National Harbor, MD, during the 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference. National Harbor offers not only unparalleled views of the Potomac River, but numerous activities and attractions for you to enjoy after spending the day learning and networking at our world-class conference. Take a ride on the spectacular Capital Wheel for a view of the city from 180 feet up, pack a picnic and watch a free movie on the plaza or attend Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna. The Capital Wheel, National Harbor’s newest attraction, having opened May of this year, holds up to 336 riders at a time and is open daily. Tickets for adults are $15 and $11.25 for children ages 3–11.

Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna takes the audience to a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. The performance runs from Thursday, July 31– Sunday, Sep. 21, 2014. Regular ticket prices are $25–$275.

Indulge in some retail therapy at more than 40 boutiques and shops in downtown National Harbor or the nearby Tanger Outlets. The outlets feature more than 50 stores for all types of shoppers including Banana Republic, Nike, Gap and Under Armour. Liven up your taste buds at the various dining destinations including Mexican, Mandarin and American cuisine.

40+ boutiques and shops: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

AMERICA! South Moon Under Del Sol Cariloha Tervis VIP Outdoor Coco Blanca Potomac Gourmet Market Alex and Ani Amelia’s Boutique Art Whino ArtCraft Pepper Palace

a 20-minute trip via water taxi to Alexandria, VA, and the West Basin and Ohio Drives in SW Washington DC; a short walk to the Lincoln Memorial, the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Tidal Basin and the National Mall. River boat cruises to Mount Vernon, VA, and Georgetown, Washington, DC, are also available with the

Restaurants:

Potomac Riverboat Company.

• • • • • • • • • • •

The boat picks you up right

Rosa Mexicana The Walrus Oyster & Ale House Chocolate Bar Fiorella Trattoria & Pizzeria Bond 45 Grace’s Mandarin Crab Cake Cafe Redstone American Grill Sauciety The Tasting Room Wine Bar & Shop Bel Vedere Lobby Bar

outside the Gaylord Hotel!

Round-trip tickets for the water taxi are only $28 per person for travel to the National Mall and $16 to Alexandria. River boat cruise tickets are $41 to travel to Mount Vernon and $28 to Georgetown.

Each location has exciting shops, restaurants and daily events for you to enjoy.

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National Mall: • Iconic memorials and monuments including the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, FDR Memorial and Constitution Gardens • National Museums such as the Air & Space Museum, National Gallery of Art, Museum of American History, Native American Museum and the Natural History Museum • Walking distance to the White House and the Capitol

Mount Vernon, VA:

Alexandria, VA: • Chamber music concert with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic • Old Town Boutique District featuring some of the best stores and galleries in the DC region • Historic Torpedo Factory Center constructed in 1918 • George Washington Masonic Memorial— Stonemasons Museum • A variety of dining experiences including weekend brunch, outdoor dining, seafood and bars and pubs

National Gallery of Art

• Tours of George Washington’s plantation, Woodlawn, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s PopeLeighy House • Huntley Meadows Park • National Inventors Hall of Fame

Georgetown: • C & O Canal National Historic Park • Over 140 restaurants and gourmet stores representing more than 50 ethnicities • Explore historic townhouses, Dumbarton Oaks and its gardens, the shop made famous by the TLC Show DC Cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcake

National Harbor is in the middle of it all!

It is only 15 minutes from our nation’s capital and Alexandria, VA, and only minutes away from three area airports, making it extremely easy to go to and from the city. Traveling within the city and downtown area is also very accessible. All of the shops and restaurants are in close proximity to each other making it easy to walk everywhere. If you aren’t up for walking, there are several different public transportation options. A courtesy shuttle service is now available between National Harbor and the King Street Metro station in Alexandria and there are numerous Metrobus stops throughout the city.

The nightlife in National Harbor is also unbeatable. Enjoy all types of music at Bobby McKey’s, Cadillac Ranch or Harrington’s Pub & Kitchen. Bobby McKey’s is the only dueling piano bar in the Washington, DC, metro area and a truly unique and fun experience full of entertainment! Each night two to four piano players take the stage to perform any and all audience requests, from Beyonce to Beethoven. Cadillac Ranch offers the best country rock and party hits. It has multiple televisions for you to watch the big game or you can make your own game and take a ride on the mechanical bull! If you are feeling more low-key, visit Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen for lively Irish music and a contemporary Irish menu. All of these locations are perfect and accommodating for a large gathering of friends or co-workers.

Join VPPPA in National Harbor this August where the atmosphere is perfect for learning about safety and health and having a great time!

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

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BY DAVE JAMIESON RAILROAD TRACK CONSULTANT

The privately-owned railroad industry, which operates trains on more than 140,000 miles of track in the U.S., is a vital part of the nation’s economy. Railroads efficiently move large quantities of freight over long distances. According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), railroads move almost 40 percent of freight in the U.S. as shown in Figure 1, and tonnage is expected to increase by more than 22 percent in the next 25 years.1 In addition, passenger ridership on Amtrak and commuter lines is growing. Railroads are dedicated to maintaining a safe and reliable rail system and have invested billions of dollars on track and structures. It is important to maintain and continue these positive trends.

IN

the 1960’s and 1970’s, a troubling number of track-caused accidents occurred in the United States on a deteriorated railroad infrastructure. Since those discouraging years, the railroad industry has seen substantial improvements in track safety. In fact, the number of track-caused accidents in 2013 is the lowest since the FRA established the Federal Track Safety Standards (FTSS) in 1971.

Fatalities and injuries to maintenance-of-way workers who occupy the track continue to be a challenge for the railroad industry. The number of fatalities to roadway workers who work on

FIGURE 1 How Freight Moves in the USA (percent ton-miles) 19.60% Pipeline

12.00% Water 39.50% Rail

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28.60% Truck

0.30% Air

the track has been reduced from eight fatalities in 1987 to two fatalities in 2013. Although there were several years with fewer fatalities after the Roadway Worker Protection Rule (RWP) became effective in 1997, there were also a few years during this period where fatalities approached the 1987 level. Railroads, rail labor and FRA are working together to achieve zero fatalities in the industry and continue the positive trend experienced in the last four years.

This article outlines the principal factors that have contributed to advances in track safety in recent years and offers some views about how the railroad industry and government, federal and state, can promote further improvements.

For consistency with regulations, the article uses common track terminology such as “gage,” “alinement” and “crosslevel.” There are, of course, alternate spellings of these terms.

Safety Statistics FRA regulations require railroads to report accidents resulting in certain fatalities or injuries, meeting certain monetary thresholds or other reporting criteria. The data is used by government and private entities to identify causal factors and to promote accident prevention. FRA continuously monitors and investigates train accidents and maintains a database that may be accessed online.

Figure 2, drawn from FRA’s database, shows the dramatic reduction in track-caused accidents that have occurred in the last few

RAILROAD TRACK SAFETY Safest in Decades, More Improvements on the Horizon

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FIGURE 2 Railroad Track-Caused Accidents 4,000

900,000,000

3,500

800,000,000 700,000,000 600,000,000

2,500 500,000,000 2,000 400,000,000

TRAIN MILES

NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS

3,000

1,500 300,000,000 1,000

200,000,000

500

100,000,000 0 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0

decades.2 As train miles have increased (an indicator of increased traffic), the number of track-caused derailments has decreased for most years. In 1980, more than 3,400 trackcaused accidents were reported by railroads.

This number has trended downward each year and in 2013, railroads reported 559 trackcaused accidents.

When the data is normalized, reported in accidents per million train miles, the data reveals that the ratio of track-caused accidents per million train miles has decreased from 4.8 in 1980 to 0.74 in 2013.

Analysis of accident data shows that the main causes for track accidents are track geometry defects (wide gage, cross level, etc.), rail flaws (detail fractures, bolt hole cracks, etc.) and switch defects (gapped switch points and worn components).

The most prevalent geometry cause for track-caused accidents is wide gage, which refers to the distance between the rails and is often associated with defective crossties. A gapped switch point occurs when a switch point does not fit properly against its stock rail and wheels may take an unintended path

FIGURE 3 Railroad Roadway Worker Fatalities 8 7 6

through a switch. Some rail flaws may be found visually, but are more often found with rail detection equipment that performs internal inspections. One common rail flaw found today is known as a detail fracture, which is an internal rail defect that develops beneath small rail surface conditions.

The RWP rule has requirements addressing the safety of railroad workers who work on or near the track. Under an agreement with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), health and safety issues specifically relating to railroad operations are regulated by FRA while OSHA regulations pertain to other general safety and health requirements.

The graph in Figure 3 shows a plot of the fatalities each year that occur to employees directly linked to the RWP regulation.3 The chart does not show other engineering department fatalities such as those involving highway accidents, crane accidents, falls from equipment, natural causes, bridge workers, etc.

The railroad industry and the government are working diligently to determine why fatalities to railroad roadway workers continue to occur. The elimination of all fatalities is, of course, the goal of the government, railroad management and rail labor.

Track Safety Improvements— Principle Factors The improvement in track safety is attributable to several major factors: • The railroad industry’s emphasis on investing in infrastructure.

• The creation of the FRA and the promulgation of the FTSS and the RWP Rule.

• Technological advances in automated track inspection systems, track maintenance equipment and higher quality rail and other track components.

• Highly trained maintenance-of-way employees.

• A greater understanding of the root causes of track-caused accidents.

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Railroads in the United States have invested billions of dollars in tracks and structures in the last several decades. In a report to the U.S. Congress, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported that investments in infrastructure have increased significantly from 2003 to 2012 as shown in Figure 4.4

In the same report, the AAR reported that railroads installed nearly 77 million new crossties, 2.9 million tons of new rails and placed nearly 61 million cubic yards of ballast in the years between 2008 and 2012. This investment has resulted in a higher quality and safer rail system.

The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Regulations The FRA was established in 1967 and regulations were promulgated that addressed all facets of railroad operation.

The FTSS establish minimum safety requirements for railroad track for several track classes. The classification of each track is based on the maximum operating speed established by the railroad and has specific requirements for the condition of the roadbed, track geometry (gage, alinement, speeds on curves and track surface), track structure (ballast, crossties, rail, rail joints, fastening systems, switches, etc.), track appliances and inspections. The thresholds allowed in the higher track classes are more restrictive than the lower classes.

The regulations require that each railroad conducts visual track inspections and certain automated inspections (e.g. rail flaw inspections) at specified frequencies, record the results of the inspections and record the remedial actions taken for defects found.

The FTSS represent minimum safety levels. Railroads characteristically maintain the track at much higher levels called “railroad maintenance standards.” However, it is important to understand that track is constantly subject to wear and inevitably changes due to train traffic. The railroads are expected to intervene and make repairs before the track reaches the minimum safety requirements prescribed in the regulations.

Railroads must reduce speeds, make repairs or remove the track from service to achieve compliance when FRA defects are found.

The RWP rule is a subpart of the On Track Safety regulation that also addresses bridge worker safety and on-track roadway maintenance machines. The RWP rule requires railroads and contractors to railroads to devise and adopt procedures to prevent their roadway worker employees from being struck by trains and other on-track machinery. The rule also requires roadway workers to follow the ontrack safety procedures in order to protect themselves and others dependent upon them.

FIGURE 4 U.S. Freight Railroad Spending on Track and Structures in Billions of Dollars 16.0 14.0 12.0 10.0 9.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 0.0

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In response to fatalities and injuries to roadway workers on tracks adjacent to the tracks where the work was being performed, a regulation known as the Adjacent Track Rule has recently been promulgated. This regulation is expected to take effect this year.

FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety employs safety inspectors who are located throughout the U.S. The safety inspectors are organized in five disciplines: track, operating practices, motive power and equipment, hazardous materials and signal and train control. The track safety inspectors enforce the regulations pertaining to track safety issues by making periodic inspections on railroads and evaluating railroad safety programs. Each railroad has the responsibility to maintain the track above the minimum safety levels required by the FTSS. Several states also have inspectors in the five disciplines that have been qualified to enforce federal regulations. FRA and state safety inspectors report deficiencies found and, in some cases, recommend civil penalties for non-compliance.

Railroads understand and have cooperated with the oversight role of FRA and state track inspectors.

Government inspectors normally conduct visual main track inspections from railroad hi-rail vehicles or by walking the tracks.

FRA has also established various safety committees to provide advice on safety matters.

One of the most important committees is the Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) which advises FRA on rulemaking and safety programs. RSAC has representatives from railroads, rail labor, suppliers, manufacturers and other interested parties. RSAC has

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established working groups such as the Track Working Group, which meets several times a year to review track and structure safety issues.

The RSAC process allows FRA to receive contributions from a wide range of track and safety experts.

Another important committee established by FRA is the Fatality Analysis of Maintenanceof-Way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) Committee to review roadway worker fatalities.

This is an ad-hoc committee of railroad labor and management representatives which analyzes roadway worker fatalities and provides recommendations to railroads and the FRA. In addition to the FRA Office of Railroad Safety, the Office of Research and Development has sponsored research which has led to major technological advances. Railroads have also sponsored research programs, often in partnership with the FRA. FRA’s overall track safety strategy has been instrumental in reducing track-caused accidents.

Technological Advances Improved Safety Several technological improvements in the quality of track components have occurred in recent years. Rail steel is cleaner and safer than in the past because of new procedures in removing inclusions and impurities in the steel through vacuum degassing and continuous casting. Techniques for the manufacturing of concrete crossties have led to fewer tie failures under traffic, and elastic fastener designs have been developed. The components of switches have improved and modern signal systems THE LEADER

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FIGURE 5 detect some defective conditions such as broken rails or improperly adjusted switches.

Perhaps, the most significant advancement in the track structure is development of continuous welded rail (CWR) which represents a large portion of main track construction. The elimination of rail joints with the inherent failures of rail bolts, joints and holes in the rail has greatly reduced the number of rail and joint failures. However, CWR has also presented the challenge that it must be properly installed and maintained to eliminate the development of large misalignments of the track (track buckles) caused by thermal forces.

Figure 5 shows an example of a modern track system with CWR, concrete crossties and elastic rail fasteners. This modern track system provides a stronger track structure than conventional wood tie and spike installation.

Railroads have developed advanced track maintenance systems such as automated track surfacing machines (tampers) to restore the alinement and surface of the track, track laying systems which replace the entire track structure in one pass, equipment that can install panelized turnouts comprised of improved switch rails and crossties and other advanced maintenance equipment. Long specialized trains with multiple grinding stones located beneath the cars are used to grind the tops and sides of rails.

Grinding removes rail surface imperfections, extends the life of the rail, improves ride quality and enables rail flaw detection equipment to better locate internal rail flaws.

Technological improvements in the detection of internal rail flaws through ultrasonic and induction methods have reduced

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the number of broken rails that fail under train traffic. However, broken rails resulting from internal defects continue to occur and the FRA and railroad industry are actively pursuing new technologies for rail flaw detection.

New automated inspection cars such as the Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS) have resulted in fewer derailments caused by track misalignment and settlement.

FRA has several automated inspection cars that use TGMS systems and other technologies that continuously monitor tracks in the U.S. as part of FRA’s Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP). Major railroads also have their own TGMS cars. Many automated cars are towed by railroad locomotives and can be operated at track speeds or in revenue trains.

Another valuable system is a Gage Restraint Measurement System (GRMS) which is equipped with a split axle that loads the track laterally and evaluates the strength of the crossties and fasteners. Both the FRA and major railroads operate GRMS vehicles. Figure 6 shows an FRA vehicle that is equipped with both GRMS and TGMS systems. Within the last few years, FRA developed a Joint Bar Inspection System (JBIS) for the optical detection of cracks and breaks in joint bars.

Finally, an extensive amount of knowledge has been gained in recent years concerning the forces and accelerations that occur when rail vehicles operate over track. This science is known as vehicle/track interaction (VTI), a body of knowledge that normally falls within the responsibility of railroad track engineering departments.

Safety limits have been established for high speed track for wheel/rail forces and accelerations.

VTI analyses on freight main tracks are being used by the industry to help identify areas where the interaction of the vehicles and the track may result in derailments. VTI technology goes hand in hand with computer simulations to predict the behavior of vehicles on different track characteristics and to understand how derailments occur.

The FRA and the railroad industry have cooperated on research that has led to important improvements in track safety. One of the most important research facilities in the U.S. is the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) located in Pueblo, CO. The center is owned

by FRA and operated by TTCI, a subsidiary of the AAR. The center has approximately 50 miles of test track, labs and tools to evaluate the track structure, as well as freight and passenger equipment. TTCI has been at the forefront of

developing better track components and advancing computer simulations.

The technologies discussed and other advanced maintenance and inspection tools have contributed to the decline in track-caused derailments.

Professional Maintenance-ofWay Employees—Training Track and structure employees on today’s railroads must be highly trained and knowledgeable. The track environment has become increasingly more technical and complex.

Several major railroads have formal training programs conducted at railroad-owned facilities or public institutions. The railroads train employees on the requirements of the FTSS and railroad maintenance standards and procedures. Among the most important topics covered in the training programs are rail installation and maintenance procedures to eliminate track buckle derailments resulting from the thermal forces associated with CWR. FRA also provides continuous training of its track safety inspectors on current regulations and rail safety. For example, FRA has recently trained inspectors on new regulations for rail integrity that reflect the current knowledge about internal rail flaws.

The regulations require regular visual track inspections by qualified railroad inspectors who monitor the entire right-of-way for compliance with the FTSS. Typically, most inspectors walk or travel in hi-rail vehicles at a maximum speed of 15–30 mph on high quality CWR main tracks and 10–15 mph on jointed tracks. The inspectors stop and investigate concerns on-foot before resuming the hi-rail inspections. Most main tracks, depending upon track class, are visually inspected between two and four times per week. The U.S. high-speed track standards currently require three or more visual inspections per week, while some European high-speed railroads perform visual inspections much less frequently.

While automated inspection equipment has improved track safety, it is critical that an effective track inspection program incorporates comprehensive visual inspections by highly qualified railroad inspectors, supplemented by automated inspections.

Alert and professional FRA safety inspectors and railroad track maintenance personnel have made a major difference in reducing track-caused derailments.

Root Causes of Accidents The FRA, together with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and railroad investigators, has gained extensive amounts of knowledge during accident investigations. The primary goal of accident investigation is to understand the causes of an accident and prevent its recurrence. The science of VTI has contributed to this knowledge.

The derailment mechanisms for some accidents, such as those caused by broken rails or wide gage, are fairly straight forward.

However, other derailments are more difficult to understand, because they result when multiple equipment and track conditions combine to create an unsafe condition. These conditions in isolation are not considered defects, but may result in a derailment when combined at a specific track location. It has been very beneficial, to perform computer simulations to evaluate the interaction of the rail equipment on the particular track characteristics present to understand the causes of derailments.

The Future of Track Safety The following list contains some safety challenges facing the railroad industry: • Roadway worker injuries and fatalities remain a serious concern. Analysis of injuries and fatalities to employees working on and near the track are vital. The work of the FAMES Committee, mentioned previously, is an important part of the effort that must continue to thoroughly review the operating rules, procedures, practices and actions taken by employees. Employees must be given complete job briefings that describe the work to be accomplished and the type of protection that will be afforded. Railroads

FIGURE 6

and labor must continue to work together to eliminate these injuries and fatalities.

• Continued investment by the FRA and the railroad industry on new automated technologies is necessary. One of the most important goals is the development of new systems for the detection of internal rail flaws such as detail fractures that inevitably result from the contact of steel wheels on rail. Optical systems with sophisticated pattern recognition may supplement visual inspections in the future to identify potentially hazardous conditions such as gapped switch points and loose or worn switch components. Research is underway

by FRA and the railroads to develop better rail steel, stronger joint bars, improved crossties and other track components.

• Railroad investments in infrastructure are commendable, but investments must continue in order to maintain a high quality and safe railroad system. The industry is challenged by increased train traffic, higher speeds (especially on curves), increased tonnage and larger and heavier rail equipment.

• With the higher number, frequency and speed of trains, it has become more difficult for dispatchers to give track time to the track inspectors to conduct visual hi-rail or walking inspections. Track time is an issue both in freight and passenger environments.

Some track engineers believe that a multiple camera application from a rail vehicle at higher speeds, supplemented with more frequent TGMS, GRMS, VTI or other automated inspections, could accomplish the goals of the traditional hi-rail or walking inspection; however the safety benefit of traditional visual inspections has been

well documented. Experienced human inspectors can evaluate track conditions such as vandalized track, sinkholes, signs of impending settlement, failing fastening systems, crossties failures, etc., that are very difficult to identify using current technologies. Arriving at the optimal mix of visual and automated inspections will be a challenge for the industry in the future.

• A greater understanding of VTI principles must be accomplished to understand how vehicles and the track interact with each other.

The use of improved computer simulation programs will enable the industry to understand the mechanisms for derailments.

• Many older and experienced maintenanceof-way employees will retire in the next several years. Younger employees must be provided with advanced training to work in the increasingly technical and complex track environment.

Endnotes 1. fra.dot.gov, Rail Network Development 2. safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/ Default.aspx, Ten Year Accident/ Incident Overview 3. fra.dot.gov/, Fatality Analysis of Maintenanceof-way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) Committee, formed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in collaboration with railroad labor and management representatives, an ad-hoc committee that reviews roadway worker fatalities.

4. Testimony Of Edward R. Hamberger, president & chief executive officer, Association Of American Railroads, Before the United States Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, And Transportation Hearing On Rail Safety, June 19, 2013

After returning from the Vietnam War in 1971, where he served as a combat engineer platoon leader, David (Dave) Jamieson worked for more than 13 years as a railroad engineering manager on two western railroads. He joined the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in 1989 and worked for over 20 years as an FRA track inspector, supervisor and engineer.

During his career, Dave managed several FRA regulatory programs, including the last major revision of the track geometry standards, electronic recordkeeping of track inspection records and the first U.S. high speed track standards. After retiring from the FRA in 2008, Dave has been actively engaged as a railroad track consultant living in Arizona.

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BY BOB MAGRADY TECH OPS COMMUNICATIONS, AMERICAN AIRLINES

ONLY THE BEST

NEED APPLY THE AMERICAN AIRLINES VPP JOURNEY When American Airlines (AA) and US Airways merged in December 2013, the result was the world’s largest airline. Excluding regional affiliates, the combined airline currently operates a fleet of 970 aircraft. Keeping the flying public safe and the fleet in optimum mechanical condition requires a small army of maintenance and engineering workers at several maintenance bases in the United States. The largest of these, spread over 300 acres at Tulsa International Airport, is the American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Center (M&E Center), which employs over 6,000 people. The Tulsa M&E Center provides major overhaul services for the airline’s multiple fleet types along with overhaul and servicing of engines, landing gear and other aircraft components. The work is intricate, exacting and labor intensive.

IN

2010, the average OSHA recordable injury rate for the Tulsa M&E Center was 9.5. At that time, Vice President Base Maintenance Bill Collins set the expectation that the OSHA rate would be lowered to 2.0 within two years. To help facilitate the change in safety culture, Collins set the loftier goal of Tulsa becoming a VPP site. Because of the large size of the Tulsa facility, a smaller support shop was chosen as a beta site to implement VPP. Housing about 100 employees and located off-site from the main base, the Auxiliary Power Unit/Wiring Center (AWC) was a good candidate for VPP. As a VPP pilot program at the M&E Center, the AWC obtained both company and Transport Workers Union (TWU) buy-in and formed work groups for each of the VPP elements: management

commitment and employee involvement; hazard prevention and control; worksite analysis; and safety and health training. From the outset, the AWC VPP team realized that, to be successful, they would need the cooperation and involvement of all of the workers at the AWC. According to TWU Welder and Safety Coordinator for the AWC team Chip Sieland, “The safety and health of our workers is the end goal. VPP is a vehicle we use to get there.” Team members worked through the lengthy OSHA application. Week after week of meetings, discussion and research and plugging in answers to many questions brought them closer to completing the application. Per OSHA requirements, they created notebooks that held the answers to all questions on the VPP application. When opportunities THE LEADER

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Chemical Coordinator Tyrone Hawkins inspects a storage cabinet. Regular inspections and good record keeping are an important aspect of a VPP approved site.

arose, AWC team members went on benchmarking trips to VPP approved facilities.

According to Sieland, the trips were “an opportunity to build mentoring relationships and observe best practices at current VPP sites.” During March 2011, AWC members went to the Baker Hughes-Centrilift facility in Claremore, OK, an OSHA Star approved VPP manufacturing site. It was here that they learned of the Active Release Technique (ART) early injury prevention program that would soon be adopted at AA’s Tulsa Base.

Relationship building continued with a tour of the NuStar Energy L.P. site in late 2011. AA TWU members shadowed NuStar leaders as they went through the OSHA VPP approval

audit, bringing back valuable knowledge to share with the AWC team.

By March 2012, the AWC VPP team had completed the detailed OSHA application and turned it over to American’s Safety Department for an exhaustive review. With the review complete, the application was turned in to OSHA in late 2012. Before OSHA could schedule an audit, the U.S. government had to move beyond a budgetary slowdown. OSHA was one of many government entities hit hard by sequestration. Amid furloughs and other staffing cuts, OSHA was unable to schedule a VPP audit for the AWC. They are still waiting for OSHA to catch up. “It is frustrating,” says AWC Supervisor Glen Phillips. “Our group has worked hard to get to this point of readiness.”

The AWC VPP team is not just standing by idly.

They continue to improve their processes, always on the lookout for an opportunity to enhance the safety and well-being of the work force. On Feb. 28, 2014, three Special Government Employees from John Zink Hamworthy, a worldwide emissions-control company based in Tulsa, conducted an audit of the facility. Sieland took part in the recent audit. “The audit went well,” he said.

“They provided us with several areas of focus to work on, and we swapped best practices between our two companies.”

In late 2013, Vice President Collins directed the formation of a VPP Steering Committee, consisting of two management and two TWU personnel, to expand VPP into the safety

programs in Tulsa and eventually to all of AA’s maintenance bases. The Steering Committee recruited champions from each business unit on the Tulsa Base. Each of those groups formed teams focusing on the four elements of VPP. All of the groups meet regularly and report to the steering committee twice monthly. Each group is working to answer questions on the application and assimilating the tenets of VPP into their respective work areas. The AWC team, furthest along in preparations, briefly described some of the changes being made to address the areas identified for improvement.

Sieland has identified three areas of focus to reach the goal of healthy and safe production: hazard prevention and control, initial and recurrent training and ergonomics for a long, pain-free life.

Overhaul Support Mechanic (OSM) Brenda Washausen manages the AWC’s approach to hazard prevention and control through a 5S methodology—Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. The list describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items and sustaining the new order.

The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work.

Parts Washer Denise Malaer covers steps taken at the AWC to mitigate risks from airborne hazards created through the daily use of chemical

An $80,000, 60 pound APU shaft is loaded on a balancer. Using a zero gravity manipulator arm reduces the risk of damage or injury. The arm was installed as a result of a job hazard analysis that identified risks.

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cleaning processes for aircraft parts and paint booths. The process of conducting job hazard analyses of 147 job tasks in the AWC work areas to identify risks and the ongoing air and noise monitoring using the latest technology are arduous tasks.

Other preventive measures, explained OSM Penny Bonham, include rolling carts for repositioning heavy wire build boards, rack systems for storing parts and four-blocker charts used in post-analysis of accidents and near-misses to identify root causes and develop solutions for prevention. Some safety changes have been inspired by simple accidents. After an incident involving a scalding injury from a mop and bucket spill, a review resulted in a redesign of the mop bucket station. The new station has a cutout in the pan to allow water to be dumped without having to lift it. Bonham emphasized that no incident is insignificant and that safety improvements can be realized from something as simple as a spilled mop bucket.

Recently, an injury occurred at the AWC that highlighted the importance of reporting hazardous conditions. An individual walking outside in wet weather slipped on a painted yellow caution line. Donna Biggs (OSM) recounted that, “This type of fall is a critical injury for an older individual. We took steps to ensure that it would never happen again.” Those steps included redesigning the entry area where the slip took place and adding non-skid to the yellow caution paint, a practice adopted across the maintenance base. “What really stood out from this incident,” said Biggs, “is that another individual noticed the slick area and didn’t say anything. Had he spoken up, an injury could have been avoided.” This only highlights the importance of working together as a site to eliminate injury risks.

Supervisor Glen Phillips conducted interviews with practitioners of two health related programs at the Tulsa M&E Base. The first, Fitmatters Wellness Center, is staffed by certified industrial athletic trainers. The staff offers a wide range of services including: pre-shift warm-up training and micro-break stretching, workplace evaluations, injury prevention training, symptom intervention, supervisor consultation, ergonomic and PPE consultation, human performance plan/ coaching and the 3M prescription safety eyewear program. The goal of Fitmatters is to help employees reach and maintain their best physical condition. The Fitmatters team works with safety and medical teams to educate employees on positive lifestyle behaviors to be utilized both at home and at work. The success of this program is measured by a decrease in OSHA recordable

injuries, a decrease in lost work day cases as well as a decrease in the costs associated with those types of injuries.

Another preventive program is conducted on the Tulsa Base by Dr. Tyler Bachman. Active release technique (ART) is a soft tissue treatment that started in the athletic field for repetitive motion aches and pains. Bachman says, “ART translates well into the industrial world where repetitive motion tasks are common. ART allows us to treat individuals with aches and pains before they become injuries.” This OSHA approved form of first aid, helps the employee avoid injury, and helps the company avoid associated costs. According to Dr. Bachman, he has seen 700 cases where ART was required in the previous 18 months, with a 95 percent improvement rate reported by employees. The program has cost AA about $300,000. Using OSHA’s safety cost analysis system, Bachman estimates the ART program has saved the company $5.2 million since its inception. “Our bodies are like some of the aging equipment we use at work,” said Phillips. “We both benefit from preventive maintenance.”

Machinist and TWU Safety Representative Bryan Golden outlined the “reminding” technique used by the AA workforce. The maintenance organization publishes alerts and bulletins for maintenance tasks. Across the maintenance base, adequate signage keeps employees informed. Training is a big priority.

We have classroom, computer-based, recurrent training and even game show type training aides to keep employees current, safe and compliant.

OSM Mike Wilkerson described the many ergonomic improvements at the AWC for the seminar audience. Work tables that raise, lower and tilt save the back and shoulders. Custom fitted foam floor mats are easy on the feet, knees and lower back of technicians standing at work stations. Wire spool rollers removed the need to heft heavy spools of wire in constant use in the shop. Hand tools for cutting and splicing have been replaced with battery-operated-devices. A zero gravity lift arm now makes it easy to position heavy or awkward parts. (see left) The AWC team continues to work hard to achieve a new safety culture at their workplace.

The Tulsa AWC has completed the prerequisites for entry into VPP and today is on OSHA’s waiting list to conduct the final audit of AWC facilities. Once they pass that hurdle, VPP status follows. As VPP dictates, they are not resting on their laurels. They continue to build and refine a very successful safety and wellness program at the AWC that blends well with American Airlines’ overall Safety Management

American Airlines APU/Wiring Team Front row: L to R: Glen Phillips, Denise Malaer, Penny Bonham. Middle row: Brenda Washausen, Donna Biggs, Bryan Golden.

Top row: Chip Sieland and Mike Wilkerson.

System. The effort the AWC team puts in at their workplace has produced a leaner, cleaner and safer shop for the employees who call the AWC home.

The positive results produced during the shop’s transformation to VPP-ready status have provided the impetus to expand VPP across the larger Tulsa M&E Base and to other maintenance facilities in American Airlines’ network. The AWC team continues to be the leading edge of a much greater effort underway at American’s Tulsa facility. The AWC group strives to facilitate a culture change towards an employee-driven, managementsupported system ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. They have a lot of work ahead of them but are ready for the challenge.

“American Airlines Maintenance can successfully integrate VPP in Tulsa and elsewhere,” says Sieland. “We have a lot of hardworking people here who recognize the benefits of VPP for our workers and for the company.”

“While VPP is a voluntary program,” says AWC Supervisor Phillips, “it involves a rigorous and complex process designed to ensure that only the best programs qualify and are approved as VPP worksites. American Airlines Maintenance is moving steadily towards achieving the goal of entry into VPP.” Bob Magrady’s life-long interest in aviation has led to a 25-year career with American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Department. A desire to try new challenges brought him to his current position in the Communications Department. As a communications coordinator, he has developed communications for many areas within the Maintenance and Engineering organization.

You can contact Bob at bob.magrady@aa.com.

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BY KIT KELLER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE PROFESSIONALS

THE EVOLUTION OF BIKING CULTURE Remember your first bicycle? What other transportation experience can match that same joy, freedom (and frugality) of biking from where you live to where you want to go…on a sunny day along your favorite route with your best buddy? Such bliss!

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he maxim “it’s just like riding a bicycle” suggests this skill once learned can never be forgotten. However, muscle memory may be insufficient to get most people on bikes in locales where car drivers are permitted to behave badly and there’s little or no space for bicyclists to ride safely. Even worse, many children simply aren’t allowed to bicycle anywhere because their parents perceive the world as a dangerous place.

This article will discuss some of the exciting new tools, programs and resources that communities, employers, schools, children, adults and universities can use to promote safer bicycling.

Protected Bike Lanes To address safety concerns, cities in the United States are implementing protected bike lanes.

This is “an exclusive bike facility that combines the user experience of a separated path with the on-street infrastructure of a conventional bike lane. [It] is physically separated from motor traffic and distinct from the sidewalk.”1 European cities employ similar facilities, called cycle tracks, to achieve high rates of everyday bicycling approaching or exceeding 50 percent, complemented by low crash rates.

Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Memphis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC, are participating in the Green Lane Project.2

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Bikeshare

Many cities seeking to attract Millennials and Boomers in search of a less car-centric lifestyle turn to the Urban Bikeway Design Guide and the Urban Street Design Guide published by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) for guidance.3 As active transportation grows in popularity among all age groups, new tools like the NACTO guides will be developed to speed the creation of a culture of health, community connectedness and actual and perceived safety.4 An exciting outcome is increased collaboration between cities, professional associations, citizens, businesses and advocacy groups.

Safe Routes to School Safe Routes to School5 programs address a growing concern about childhood obesity.6 Bicycling helps balance calories in with calories out and many people who start bicycling for transportation report losing weight while gaining a healthier body image. When children walk or bike to school, they arrive at school refreshed and ready to learn. Parents benefit too because their child’s active transportation trip home helps them burn excess energy, learn to be more independent and literally find their way in the world.

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The newest kid on the bicycle block is bikeshare—a fun and inviting new way to combine physical activity and transportation.

Bikeshare systems feature kiosks where an individual can become a single or multiple day bikeshare user and check out a bike. After paying the basic use rate, the individual can use the bike for free for as many short trips as they like, usually less than 30 minutes at a time.

Smart phone apps like Spotcycle help users find kiosks, see how many bikes are available and know if they’ll find a space to return their bike. Some apps help the user track how many more minutes they can bike before incurring an overage fee.

For cities with overcrowded transit systems, strategically placed bikeshare stations help reduce crowded conditions on buses and trains during peak travel periods. Cities with bikeshare programs report that it is used by locals and tourists. To see how bikeshare works, view: www.streetfilms.org/thephenomenal-success-of-capital-bikeshare/.

Bicycle Safety Programs It’s never too early—or too late—to learn and reinforce good safety habits! Countries like Great Britain offer “traffic clubs” which help children learn and practice safety while walking, bicycling, using public transit and being in a car.7 This type of program adapted for the U.S. could help us more effectively prioritize and reinforce road safety. Until a comprehensive program is in place, we can look to a variety of nationally recognized bicycle safety programs, summarized below.

For children: Many police departments or civic groups offer “bicycle rodeos” for young children to learn the rules of the road. Some local and state bicycle advocacy organizations offer bicycle safety education

for children at schools. Bicycle Safer Journey is a new online tool developed by the Federal Highway Administration to help parents, teachers and others educate children and teens age 5–18 about safe bicycle behaviors.8 State departments of transportation have Safe Routes to School Coordinators who can advise schools about bicycle safety.

The League of American Bicyclists trains thousands of Certified Ride Smart instructors who are available to teach bicycle safety courses.9 Park and recreation departments may offer bicycle programs.10 Particularly industrious parents teach their children to bike by taking the pedals off which helps children gradually and safely learn and practice balance, turns and stops.

For adults: Local bike shops or bicycle advocacy groups can present a lunch and learn or more extensive program for employers that encourage bicycle commuting. Some communities offer ongoing “bicycle kitchens” that teach basic bicycle maintenance.11 The League’s Ride Smart program for adults includes a class on bicycle commuting.

Students in the Ride Smart Traffic Skills 101 class learn how to conduct bicycle safety

checks, fix a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. League instructors have even helped adults learn to ride a bike for the very first time!

choices, and fosters economically vibrant communities with a high quality of life.” www.partnership4at.org 5. www.saferoutesinfo.org 6. Childhood obesity is on the radar of parents,

Additional Resources • Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals www.apbp.org • The League of American Bicyclists bikeleague.org • National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org • Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center www.pedbikeinfo.org

schools, doctors, public health, the military, health insurance companies and the White House. Over a lifetime investment in building healthy bodies offers many happy returns for individuals, families, employers and communities.

7. www.childrenstrafficclub.com/about 8. www.pedbikeinfo.org/bicyclesaferjourney 9. bikeleague.org/content/take-class 10. One example is BikeSafe in Miami-Dade

Endnotes

County Florida www.ibikesafe.us/

Prior to her work with APBP, Kit collaborated with local businesses and government to

1. nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/ cycle-tracks/

11. www.lincolnbikekitchen.org/

2. www.peopleforbikes.org/

Kit Keller, JD, executive director of the

3. nacto.org/

trails, promoted walkable and bicycle-friendly

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle

communities, and facilitated Safe Routes to

4. The Partnership for Active Transportation defines active transportation as “human powered mobility such as walking and bicycling that increases physical activity, provides balanced transportation

Professionals (APBP), views the world from

School programs. She has served in elected and

a public policy perspective, drawing upon

appointed local government positions and on

training in political science, psychology,

various boards, including the local League of

community organizing, law and legal writing.

Women Voters.

orchestrate a successful new transit startup, helped to develop and fund shared use

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THE DISTRACTED DRIVING

BY JANET BROOKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DRIVE SMART VIRGINIA

Poor driving behaviors, such as driver inattention

and aggression, have been identified as the primary cause of 90 percent of all traffic fatalities. People have control over their driving behavior, and therefore one could suggest that better driving choices could significantly reduce injuries and fatalities on our roadways. For example, in 2012 there were 33,561 people killed on the roadways of the United States. If 90 percent of these fatalities were caused by driver behavior, just over 30,000 lives could have been saved in one year with the adoption of good driving behaviors by the motoring public.

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EPIDEMIC

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A

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Naturalistic Driving Study was the first large-scale instrumented vehicle study conducted for the purpose of capturing pre-crash and near-crash driving information. Data was collected on 109 primary drivers over a one year period.

Researchers analyzed 42,300 hours of driving data and concluded that in nearly 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of all nearcrashes observed, there was driver inattention within three seconds of the event. This was the first study that showed the depth of the problem distracted driving causes.

We know that the majority of car crashes are caused by driver behavior, and we know that distracted driving is a causative factor in many of them. It would seem logical, then, that isolating and tackling the issue of distracted driving specifically will go far to reduce fatalities and injuries on our roadways.

“Texting and driving increases a drivers crash risk by 23 times.”

(Virginia Tech Transportation Institute)

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What Is Distracted Driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” These types of distractions include: • Texting • Using a cell phone • Eating and drinking • Talking to passengers • Grooming • Reading, including maps • Using a navigation system • Watching a video • Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reports that texting while driving increases a driver’s crash risk by 23 times, making it the most severe of all distractions. Recent studies have shown that even technology created to make texting easier has still not made it safe to text and drive. Hands-free technology is not risk-free when driving.

The use of wireless technology has exploded.

According to the The Wireless Association (CTIA formerly known as the Cellular Telecommunication Industry Association), wireless devices have reached a population saturation of 102 percent in the U.S., which means that nearly every home in the country has some form of wireless device. In 2002,

fewer than 50 percent of Americans had a wireless device. This technology has advanced far more quickly than our ability to adapt to it appropriately for safe use. For this reason, we, as safety professionals, are responsible for creating workplace policies and programs and for raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

There are three kinds of distracted driving: manual, visual and cognitive. Texting has developed as the most serious of all of the distractions because it involves all three of these distractions.

What Can Businesses do to Help Their Employees?

The Department of Labor reported that in 2012, transportation incidents were the leading cause of workplace fatalities at 41 percent of all incidences. Motor vehicle crashes are a heavy burden for Americans causing $871 billion in economic loss and societal harm. Crash costs include lost productivity, property damage, medical and rehabilitation costs, legal and court costs, emergency services and insurance administration costs.

Employers should take these key steps to develop, implement, enforce and monitor a strong distracted driving program in the workplace: 1. Deliver the message from the top. Build the business case and get your executive management on board.

2. Establish policies. Make sure that your policies exceed the existing OSHA requirements, USDOT regulations or state law. Make sure that your policies cover ALL employees, ALL company vehicles, ALL wireless devices and ALL work-related communications, even from a personal wireless device or while driving a personal vehicle.

3. Once your policy is created, make sure that you take time to educate employees on the importance of the policy. Create an employee self-assessment so that employees can identify their own distracted driving habits. Offer solutions to identify habits to help employees transition to safer driving. Allow employees time to absorb and rationalize their own driving habits and the benefit distraction-free driving can have on their lives AND the organization overall. Approach communications with a combination of research, employee testimonials and corporate responsibility.

Demonstrate the benefit to fellow colleagues, family and friends.

4. Equally important to the existence of a policy is its rollout. Monitor compliance, enforce the policy and address violations.

5. Establish a rewards and recognition program for compliance with the policy. Recognize success frequently and consistently.

6. Take advantage of the many resources available to compliment your distracted driving program and keep visibility high with periodic email communications, indoor and/or outdoor signage, mentions at company-wide or department meetings, pay stub notes, etc.

Make a Personal Commitment to Be a Role Model at Home and at Work Recognizing the importance of living and practicing a safety philosophy in both the workplace and home is the first step in being part of the solution to the distracted driving epidemic. Take these steps to ensure that you are a role model: 1. Change Your Ways. Analyze your own driving behavior for dangerous distracted driving habits and work to eliminate them.

2. Make a Plan. Before you put the keys in the ignition, know where you’re going.

Have your GPS or music programmed. If you’re traveling with children, make sure they’ve got what they need nearby.

3. Manage Your Time. Plan your day so that you’ve got plenty of time to reach your destination so that you’re not tempted to multi-task or drive aggressively.

4. Don’t let your DRIVE time become your DOWN time. As a society, we’ve gotten into a habit of finding it acceptable to perform tasks secondary to driving while driving. When you’re behind the wheel driving is the only thing to be focused on.

5. Scan the roadway to make sure that you’re aware of your surroundings and of other driver actions at all times.

6. Try to avoid driving when you’re tired or upset. It’s important that you are able to focus and concentrate on driving.

7. Pull over if you need to do something that will take your eyes and/or mind off the task of driving.

8. Commit to placing your wireless device in the glove compartment or back seat while driving.

9. And, for general safety, take a driver refresher class. Even the best of drivers pick up bad habits over time.

10. Finally—Buckle Up—Every Trip, Every Time! A safety belt is YOUR best defense against a distracted driver!

Educate your Family Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers in America.

Teenagers are vulnerable drivers due to a number of reasons, including driving inexperience and the immaturity of their brains. Parents play a critical role in the development of safe driving practices by teens.

Here are some key steps to ensuring that your family develops good driving behaviors: 1. Know that you are an example. Children model parental behavior and establish that as a norm. Commit to exemplifying safety while driving.

2. Establish clear and well-defined rules.

These rules should address safety belt use, speed, impairment, wireless use, general distraction, number of passengers, permitted distance from home base, etc.

3. Continue the conversation. Access the numerous educational sources available for parents to continue the education process as your teen driver becomes more seasoned.

Be the Change There are multiple examples of the devastation caused by those who make the choice to drive distracted. As safety professionals, we have the opportunity to create a platform, both at home and in our workplace, to raise awareness in order to change this deadly driving behavior. Use the tips provided here to start the conversation for change with the goal of reducing injuries and fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes. Your efforts could save the lives of your family, friends and coworkers.

Additional resources for you and for your family: • distraction.gov • ghsa.org • iihs.org • nhtsa.gov • nsc.org • stopdistractions.org • drivesmartva.org • drivesmartuniversity.org Sources: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, presentations from the Virginia Distracted Driving Summit, National Safety Council, National

“The most dangerous part of any employee’s day is the time they spend in their vehicle” (Network for Employers for Traffic Safety) Highway Safety Traffic Administration, Network of Employers for Safety and Governors Highway Safety Association

Janet Brooking has served as the executive director of DRIVE SMART Virginia since May 2005. Prior to her involvement with DRIVE SMART Virginia, Brooking spent ten years as state campaign director for the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, through which she raised more than $28,000,000 for charity.

She’s won several awards including a Medallion Award from the Public Relations Society of America for a video and an award from her peers at the Department of Human Resource Management for being most “Results Driven” in the agency. Brooking’s non-profit work has included being a docent at the Maymont Nature Center and serving on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Read Center. She currently serves as vice president of the Colonial Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

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infographic corner

The CDC estimates that there are

23 million land-based Norovirus cases each year in the U.S., affecting

one in 12 people, or 8% of the population. In contrast, the number of cruise passengers affected is 0.028% of the 8 million

strong cruising population,

or 1 in 3,600 of those who vacation aboard ships

of fatal transportation incidents in 2012 involved pedestrians who were

struck by vehicles.

In 2012,

726 pedal cyclists were killed and an additional

49,000 were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes.

60%

of Americans say they would bike more often

if they had a safe place, like a green lane, to ride. This point was validated by a recent study in Washington D.C. that revealed bicycling increased 200% on Pennsylvania Avenue after green lanes were installed.

As of June 2014 only 21 states, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands have a helmet

law

for bicyclists below a certain age, generally about 16. Only the

Virgin Islands requires helmets for all bicyclists.

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government relations counsel message

Dear Members,

IT

is an honor to join VPPPA as your new government relations counsel.

When I served as Virginia’s Labor Commissioner, I learned quickly what a great partner VPPPA is—to business, to labor and to regulators

who see its value. When VPP was flourishing, and when it was under fire, VPPPA was always there.

VPPPA is in a great position today to get policymakers and stakeholders on board.

We have over 2,300 companies and sites that rank among the most well-respected workplaces in every state. In my home state and in the states of my former colleagues, I have seen how effective VPP participants can be when they speak up. I look forward to working with you on both the state and national levels to ensure VPP gets the support it deserves.

Of course, VPPPA is not alone. In the past, we have made common cause with other professional organizations to increase our reach, membership and conference participation. We have made valuable partnerships in recent years, and will reach out to more groups with similar interests.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve such a great organization. If you have any thoughts at all going forward, please do not hesitate to let me know.

COURTNEY MALVEAUX, ESQ. Government Relations Counsel THE LEADER

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member spotlight

Phil Walsh Chairperson for VPPPA Region IV, SHE manager at Ecolab, Inc.

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Phil Walsh, chairperson for VPPPA Region IV, is the SHE manager at Ecolab, Inc., Discrete Division.

Ecolab, an Affiliate member working toward VPP approval, is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services.

Around the world, businesses in the food service, food processing, hospitality, healthcare, industrial and oil and gas markets choose Ecolab products and services to keep their environments clean and safe, operate efficiently and achieve sustainability goals. Walsh works within the Discrete Network which is made up of healthcare sites and equipment sites. He is the Safety, Health & Environmental Manager for the Discrete Network, with safety and environmental oversight of six locations. (Discrete Network is a division of Ecolab that includes the healthcare and equipment plants)

How did your career in VPP start?

Walsh has been at a VPPPA member site since 2002. He has served on the Region IV VPPPA Board since 2006 and became the chairperson in 2010. He was actively involved as an SGE from 2005–2011 performing 16 evaluations.

In 2011, he moved to Ecolab and was unable to continue his SGE work as the site is not yet VPP approved. Walsh has also been very active as a VPPPA mentor and has helped 10 companies improve their safety programs and work toward VPP.

I am currently the safety, health and environmental manager for Ecolab’s Discrete Network. Three of the six plants I have are in Region IV. My current manager has tasked me with moving our safety program to a strong, world-class level program. We are in the stages of developing and implementing the pieces to a strong safety management system with the VPP framework.

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I actually started in the environmental field.

The company I was with at the time eventually gave me safety as part of my job. At the time, I wasn’t that excited about it and wasn’t sure what I was getting into. Once I got more into the field and moved onto another company that wanted more from safety than compliance, my passion for safety and expertise blossomed.

How did you get involved in VPPPA?

I had started at a new company and the plant manager had a vision of a world-class facility.

He wanted every department to benchmark and envision what elements or programs would help them to be the best-of-the-best. In my research, I came across the VPPPA. After a few phone calls and research on the VPPPA process I thought, “this is the path.’ I did a presentation to the plant manager and he agreed we need to be a VPP Star site.

What role are you playing in shaping the organization?

Do you feel like being a member of VPPPA has helped you with your career goals?

I feel I am where I am today because of VPPPA. When safety responsibilities were given to me earlier in my career, it was mainly based around compliance. Once I was challenged by a plant manager to create a bestof-the-best program, I got involved in VPP and saw what that actually meant. Safety is actually an enjoyable job and I have a passion to be the best-of-the-best. I am not only creating strong programs, but I am able to see the pay offs in reduced injuries, costs, as well as many other functions of the company.

What do you feel is one of the most valuable things you have gained through your involvement in the Association?

Passion to be the best. From the things I learn and see through conferences and involvement in VPPPA, it drives me to always continue to push harder in my career and job functions.

Do you have any particular accomplishment within Ecolab or VPPPA that you are most proud of?

I have been with Ecolab now for three years.

In the division that I am involved, we have already seen major reductions in injuries and are seeing a great safety culture develop with the changes we have made. This makes me proud, seeing a system that works really paying off. Within the VPPPA, I am proud to serve as the Region IV VPPPA chairperson. It is a lot of work that is mostly done after my normal job, but it is satisfying being part of growing the passion of VPP. Have you always had the resources and support that you have needed to accomplish your safety goals?

For the most part, yes. Early on in my career, I was with a company that really didn’t provide the resources or commitment needed to get to a good safety program. Since then, I have always been with a company that strived to have a strong safety culture. That makes my job a lot easier and more enjoyable. Without that commitment from the management team, it is almost impossible to build a best-of-thebest program.

What are some of the positive safety trends you have seen over the past several years?

Technology. I am a big believer in change.

You can’t get comfortable where you are at, no matter where that is. Even with the strongest safety program, there are always ways to improve and make them better. The technology has and continues to change a lot in the safety field. Mobile technology, like the iPad, can now be used for infield inspections, audits, LOTO, etc.; sensor development has improved safety systems, i.e. pedestrian/PIT

crosswalks, loading docks, robotic areas, etc.; forklift technology eliminated un-authorized persons operating a lift; wearable technology like cooling systems, headsets built into hearing protection equipment, IH sensors, etc.; are just a few of the significant changes I am seeing among the many growing areas of technology.

Are you starting to see new safety issues that need to be addressed that perhaps, did not exist in previous years?

The one that stands out to me the most is the aging workforce. Then, on the flip side of that is the younger generation coming in. With these two together, ergonomics is a growing opportunity that affects older and younger workers in different ways. The older generation is getting older, which creates some obvious ergonomics concerns at work, but the younger generation has more ergo issues outside of work and that plays a role such as texting, gaming, etc.

What are some of the challenges that you have encountered with VPP/OSHA?

I would say my biggest challenge has been, and always is, when a company asks me to come and assist or mentor them in VPP and they are really not committed. I have had a couple situations when a company has stated they wanted to be VPP, but they really didn’t understand what it was all about. They thought it would involve completing a few forms and programs and then they would get an award and see their injuries drop. I once learned the hard way with a company that I had put a lot of time and effort into helping, that the management team has to be aware of the VPP process for the company to be successful. The safety person was on board and then once I got more involved with the team, I realized this company was far from being VPP and not sure they could ever be. Now, before I mentor any company, I tell them that first I give a VPP 101 and Leadership presentation to top management before any mentoring or assistance. I think it is important for the management team to understand what it is all about and how important leadership is going to be in the VPP process.

Has your family played a role in your safety agenda at work, interest in the implementation and further development of safety education, or in other aspects of your personal life?

Being chairperson on the Region IV VPPPA board, my family has had no choice but to learn and be involved in VPP. I have drafted them for many hours of conference prep work, etc. They have grown to actually enjoy it and love what VPP is all about. So having a family that sees and understands what having a safe workplace is about, it gives me passion to make sure I am able to expand that passion to other workers so they can share that safety passion with their families.

What do you do at home to implement the safety measures that are so abundant in your professional life?

I carry safety beyond the workplace and continue that safety passion at home. I have stressed the importance of no texting and driving, leave the cell phone alone when driving, buckle-up before you ever turn the car on, etc.

Who inspires/inspired you? Who have you looked to for guidance over the years?

For that one person that inspired me the most in my career, I would have to go back to the company that I was working for when I first became involved in VPP. The plant manager there at the time was very inspirational. His leadership style and the passion he had was very contagious.

I learned a lot from watching him manage his team. He has passed away now, but I still think of how he would have handled something or how he would have gone about accomplishing a task.

He actually became a big believer in the VPP process. He would always share his passion of the program with other companies and what it had done for his. He loved it so much his wife actually included his passion for the VPP in his obituary.

Our members would be interested to know where you go to get your questions answered. Who or what are your safety resources?

Through my VPPPA involvement, I have gained many resources. I reach out to other professionals that I have met over the years in VPP, as well as the many OSHA representatives that I have gotten to know through the VPP process.

Do you have any additional challenges in the summer months that you need to overcome to keep your employees safe?

The biggest one in the summer is heat. Being in the south, it gets hot in the summer. We have implemented a heat safety program where we are tracking heat indexes during the day that in turn triggers different actions. This is something we always have to keep everyone aware of during the summer months.

What is the one lesson or piece of advice you would like to offer your peers regarding your experiences?

Find passion in what you do. If you have the passion for what you are doing, you will succeed. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others.

That is one good thing about being involved in VPPPA, you always have people that are passionate about what they do and who are willing to help.

What legacy would you like to leave either at your company or at VPPPA?

I would be satisfied just knowing that something I said or did made a difference in someone’s life and kept them from dying or being severely injured.

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member info corner

Write for The Leader !

H

ave you ever thought about contributing an article to The Leader? We want to hear from you!

Share your knowledge and experiences with other VPPPA members. You are the leading experts in this industry with unsurpassed expertise in promoting a positive safety and health culture. Themes have already been chosen for our autumn 2014 and winter 2015 issues. If you are interested in contributing to one of our upcoming issues, contact the Communications Department at communications@vpppa.org or (703) 761-1146.

The theme for our autumn 2014 issue is leadership. What is your company doing to lead the way in the safety and health field? What are individuals within your organization doing that make a difference?

This is your opportunity to highlight the innovative strategies that are working at your company. There are multiple “right ways” to achieve our safety goals. Share your experiences with other association members.

VPPPA is full of diverse companies with forward-thinking safety programs. We want to hear about new programs that you are implementing at your company, new ways that you are working to educate employees, how you are getting employees involved to prevent injuries before they occur, new procedures that you have put in place, what types of new training programs are being utilized to more effectively educate your workforce and new programs that are significantly impacting safety and health in the workplace.

This is also an opportunity to highlight the leaders in your organization who have made a difference to your safety culture and well-being. Many members have encountered similar struggles starting a VPP program and maintaining the necessary standards and protocols to keep it going. Let the membership know how you have overcome these obstacles to create a successful safety and health culture.

The winter 2015 issue of The Leader will focus on the aging workforce. According

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to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of the workforce will be over the age of 55 by next year. People are waiting longer to retire and the global economic crisis has decreased the availability of new positions for graduates entering the workforce as older workers are inclined to remain in the workforce until at least the age of 62, according to a Gallup poll in April 2014. The winter issue will address the effects of aging on injury rates, health problems including diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders, productivity and work performance, time lost for long term illnesses and ways of addressing this, modifying tasks for older workers and issues associated with the consequences of mental illnesses on aging employees such as dementia.

Perhaps your company is already on top of this upcoming problem and has a plan in place to address the aging work population.

If you do, we want to hear about it! Many companies do not have plans in place nor do they know where to start when it comes to addressing this imminent labor crisis.

Please help fellow VPPPA members create an effective plan that allows employees to age with dignity.

Note: You may also contact the editor, Sarah Neely, with ideas for upcoming themes and announcements for both The Leader and “On the Level.”

Call for Member Spotlights Our members are spectacular! We want to share the wonderful things that you are doing and your experiences with VPP and VPPPA with our membership. At the national office, we don’t have opportunities to meet with members face to face as often as we would like.

We need your help identifying individuals who are making a difference. Recommend your friends, colleagues, bosses, mentors and employees to be featured in our member spotlights. We have two great mediums to feature our members, our quarterly magazine, The Leader and our monthly e-blast, “On the Level.” Contact the Communications Department with your suggestions.

Congratulations to our 2014 award and scholarship winners!

Annual Awards VPP Outreach Award The purpose of the VPP Outreach Award is to provide recognition for our “VPP Ambassadors.” This award recognizes those who achieve an outstanding level of outreach activity and encourage others to share their knowledge. Reaching out to communicate and persuade others of the benefits of pursuing OSHA or DOE VPP approval is an important part of the mission of the VPPPA. Another part of the mission is to persuade other government regulatory agencies to adopt similar programs.

The VPP Outreach Award is for an individual, company or worksite that has done an extraordinary amount of work in these areas.

Winner: Cedar Bayou—Chevron Phillips Chemical Company VPP Innovation Award: The purpose of the VPP Innovation Award is to provide recognition for an individual, company or worksite that has developed and successfully implemented an innovation, encouraged others to try new approaches and emphasized the value of creativity and flexibility in the resolution of worker safety and health problems. The innovation may be program-related or of a technical nature.

Winner: Illinois Refining Division— Marathon Petroleum Company, LP Winner: Savannah River Remediation, LLC— Mobile Slip Simulator Safety & Health Outreach Award The purpose of the Safety and Health Outreach Award is to provide recognition for our “VPP Models,” who reach out to share the safety, health, technical and management expertise developed at their sites. The award is for an individual, company or worksite that has achieved an outstanding level of outreach in the safety and health arena, not directly encompassing the VPP. Winner: Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC

VPPPA Safety & Health Achievement Award Whether it is at the worksite or in the community, the VPPPA Safety & Health Achievement Award provides special acknowledgement to non-managerial employees at VPPPA member sites who have taken the initiative to learn and apply safety and health best practices. Candidates are expected to fulfill the program criteria and complete a workbook containing questions on the major elements of workplace safety and health. The Award is geared toward hourly, non-safety and health workers at VPPPA member sites.

Scholarships June Brothers Scholarship The VPPPA June Brothers Scholarship was established in 2005 to recognize students who are leaders and role models in their schools and communities and who are entering either the environmental, safety and health areas or the trades. This annual scholarship is granted to students who are either employed at a VPPPA Full member site or to the child/ grandchild of a member.

William “Sully” Sullivan Scholarship During the February 2007 VPPPA National Board of Directors meeting, the board established the VPPPA William “Sully” Sullivan Scholarship. This scholarship is intended to recognize an employee at a VPPPA Full member site who has made significant contributions to the VPP program at his/her site. This scholarship is open to employees enrolled in or enrolling in a vocational school, college or university.

Winner: Alexandra Ross Pryor, Midvale, UT

Winner: William Turner, Richland, WA

Winner: Katelyn Girouard, Dedham, MA

Winner: Arlene Williams, Savannah River Remediation, LLC

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calendar of events

VPPPA Contacts

july

september

To reach the VPPPA National Office, call (703) 761-1146 or visit www.vpppa.org. To reach a particular staff member, please refer to the contact information below.

National Conference Mobile App Now Live

Call for 2015 Annual National VPPPA Conference Workshop Submissions Now Open

R. Davis Layne rdlayne@vpppa.org Senior Advisor

Sept. 17, 2014

Courtney Malveaux, Esq. cmalveaux@vpppa.org

July 5–Aug. 19, 2014 First Twitter Contest

august Aug. 23–27, 2014 Onsite Registration for National Conference

Aug. 24–28, 2014 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference Gaylord National Convention Center National Harbor, MD Hotel Reservations: (877) 382-7299

Aug. 25–28, 2014 Second Twitter Contest

Aug. 29–Sep. 3, 2014 Third Twitter Contest

“Noise Dosimetry & Hearing Conservation” webinar

Government Relations Counsel

11:30 a.m. EDT

Sara A. Taylor, CMP staylor@vpppa.org Marketing Director Ext. 107

Sept. 23, 2014 “Best Practices When Implementing Online Mobile Safety Training” webinar 11:30 a.m. EDT

Latisha Dutch, CMM ldutch@vpppa.org Conference & Education Manager Ext. 116

october

Amanda Buckner abuckner@vpppa.org Conference Coordinator Ext. 112

Oct. 8–10, 2014

Sarah Neely sneely@vpppa.org Communications Manager Ext. 121

19th Annual VOSH Conference Embassy Suites Hampton Roads— Hotel, Spa & Convention Center Hampton, Virginia

Oct. 9, 2014 “Hazard Communication Alert— Changes in the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard” webinar 11 a.m. EDT

Oct. 23, 2014 “Process Hazard Analysis Revalidations—Scope, Requirements & Methods” webinar 11 a.m. EDT National Harbor, MD

Ext. 105

Jenna Shay jshay@vpppa.org Communications Coordinator Ext. 115 Charlie Doss cdoss@vpppa.org Government Affairs Manager Ext. 113 Tom Webb twebb@vpppa.org Strategic Development & Member Services Manager Ext. 114 Laura S. Rotzler, CMP lrotzler@vpppa.org Advertising & Sponsorship Coordinator Ext. 111 Marianne Trinh mtrinh@vpppa.org Senior Accountant Ext. 106 Bryant Walker bwalker@vpppa.org Information & Data Analyst Manager Ext. 110

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crossword puzzle 1

Fill out this crossword puzzle featuring clues on VPP, the association and content from this issue! Answers to this puzzle will appear in the summer issue of The Leader. Do not include spaces for multiple-word answers. To submit a crossword puzzle clue/answer in the next issue of The Leader, contact communications@vpppa.org.

6 8

2 3

4 5

7 9

10

11

12

13

14 15

16

17

18 19 20

Across 2.

River located in National Harbor, MD

7.

Location of Region IV’s 2015 conference

9.

Number of fatalities to roadway workers who worked on track in 2013

14. Number of SGEs who attended the Region I conference 15. Texting and driving increases a driver’s crash risk by ___ times

21

22

23 24

25

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27

17. Three kinds of distracted driving: manual, cognitive and ____ 18. US Airlines merged with ____ 20. “Best Practices When Implementing Online _____ Safety Training” Webinar 21. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for ______

23. Month of the most recent VPPPA congressional outreach 25. Number of years Phil Walsh has worked with Ecolab 26. Percent of Americans who say they would bike more often if they had a safe place 27. One of the greatest culprits of annual cost of U.S. vehicle crashes

ANSWERS FROM THE LAST ISSUE ACROSS 2. Chairperson for VPPPA Region I (Gauthier); 3. ADOSH currently has ____ participating Star sites (Thirtysix); 5. Number of VPP sites in Nevada (Nine); 8. Identifies levels at which workers who are exposed to hand-transmitted vibration (DELV); 10. Number of representatives from VPP worksites visited Washington, D.C. (Fifteen); 12. Location of Region III VPPPA Symposium (Pittsburgh); 16. Is created when perturbations from the terrain are transmitted from the floor of vehicle, through the seat suspension, and into the driver (WBV); 17. Years Steve Gauthier has worked with VPPPA (Seven); 19. Mid-range frequencies of vibration are primarily transmitted only to the ____ (Fingers); 20. Affects WBV exposures and worker health (Seats); 21. One body structure heavily affected by whole body vibrations (Spine); 22.

Vibration transferred though the soft tissue is one factor that can create (Spasms); 23. Vascular disorders affecting digital circulation and sensitivity to the cold are likely caused by ___ (HTV); 26. The frequency of vibration is usually measured in (Hertz); 27. A form of energy release that may easily be overlooked in many work environments (Vibration); 28. Cannot be created or destroyed (Energy); 29. Confirmed Deputy Secretary of Labor (Lu); DOWN 1. Tool that transmits high levels of vibration directly into the user’s body (Jackhammer); 4. Host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup (Brazil); 6. Released a final rule addressing backover hazards for most vehicles (NIOSH); 7. “Inspiring _____ Engagement in ESH” Webinar (Manager); 9. Most prevalent and costly non-lethal medical conditions affecting adults (LBP); 11. Vibration exposures are characterized by ____ components (Three); 13. National Conference opening general session (Thomas); 14. Symptoms of this disease include cold-induced constriction of the blood vessels in the fingers and hands that result in the skin appearing white (HAVS); 15. Device to senses vibration (Accelerometer); 18. Number one of the six level hierarchy of controls (Elimination); 22. Percent of all work-related illnesses are Musculoskeletal Disorders (Sixty); 24. Percent of workers exposed to power tools on a regular basis (Fifty); 25. Venue for VPPPA National Conference (Gaylord)

Down 1.

Established various safety committees to provide advice on railroad safety matters

2.

Chemical to prevent insect bites

3.

These may begin to take on an expanded role in society through the use of business deliveries

4.

Mosquito borne illness

5.

New VPPPA government relations counsel

6.

Most inspectors walk or travel in hi-rail vehicles at maximum speed of ____ of CWR track

7.

Percentage of freight railroads move in the U.S.

8.

Percentage of people bicycling every day in European cities

10. Most prevalent geometry cause for trackcaused accidents 11. Bicycle _____ teach basic bicycle maintenance 12. Soft tissue treatment for repetitive motion aches and pains 13. Destination of National Harbor’s water taxi 16. Chairperson of VPPPA Region IV 19. Theme of The Leader’s autumn 2014 issue 21. Norovirus cases in the U.S. affect one in ___ people 22. Keynote speaker at the Region VII conference 24. Winner of VPP Outreach Award

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

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7600-E Leesburg Pike, Suite 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 Tel: (703) 761-1146 Fax: (703) 761-1148 www.vpppa.org VPPPA, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) charitable organization, promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

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October 27-29, 2014 Indianapolis, IN The Westin Indianapolis Hotel

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